The Columbus Blue Jackets have far too many players for their own good at this point in time, and while that will lead to some difficult decisions, overall it’s a good thing for the long-term future of the organization. Prospects won’t need to be rushed and the main roster can continue to move forward with those who are ready for the NHL. In the short-term, though, it will lead to players getting opportunities who likely shouldn’t while those who are more deserving are stuck in the American Hockey League (AHL) due to waiver status.
In an ideal world, the best players would get the most opportunity; however, the reality of things is that waivers are taken heavily into consideration when the roster is constructed. With that being said, there are some players who should get a bigger role within the organization this upcoming season, even if it does mean that someone will have to be pushed out of the way.
Yegor Chinakhov
The first of the players in this category is Yegor Chinakhov, who is currently on his second NHL deal following the expiration of his entry-level contract. He has spent the majority of his time with the Blue Jackets since coming to North America, however, he always seemed to end up in the AHL despite playing fairly well. Despite being limited to 30 games last season, he was playing at a much higher level during his sophomore season. Compared to someone like Cole Sillinger who many view as a lock to make the opening night roster, it seems strange that the player who’s improving rather than regressing is most likely going to start the season with the AHL Cleveland Monsters.
It’s important to factor in roles when projecting the upcoming roster of course, as it wouldn’t make sense to have a player like Chinakhov sitting on the fourth line; however, he’s certainly deserving of an opportunity of some sort. He could be beneficial on the third line, for example, alongside his countryman Dmitri Voronkov to add some scoring to a heavy, checking line. While he’s certainly not going to be able to get top-six time at this point in time, it’s fairly safe to say that Chinakhov is too good to be playing in the AHL this upcoming season.
David Jiricek
With the additions of Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson to the Blue Jackets this offseason, there aren’t many spots open on the blue line, but there are quite a few fighting for the few that are available. Unfortunately, this means that a good player will have to settle for playing in Cleveland and hope that an opportunity arrives later on down the line. David Jiricek seemed like a lock to be on the opening night roster in Columbus prior to the end of the season; however, now he’s likely on the outside looking in. He’s ready for the NHL, though, and although it’s nice to not have to rush a prospect, especially a top prospect. It can be just as harmful to hold them back at a level that’s beneath their ability.
Jiricek will add some size to the defense, while also contributing at a high offensive level. He’s going to be one of the faces of the new era of the Blue Jackets. The focus is certainly on Adam Fantilli, however, with Jiricek in the mix as well, there could be two Calder Memorial Trophy candidates in Columbus during the 2023-24 season. For a fan base that suffered through a difficult 2022-23 season, it would be a fitting reward to give them the most exciting and skilled players on the ice as soon as possible.
Daniil Tarasov
The Blue Jackets have a new legitimate backup goaltender this season, Daniil Tarasov. He’s no longer in competition with Joonas Korpisalo who has now found a home with the Ottawa Senators, and he’s going to be relied on heavily, especially if Elvis Merzlikins doesn’t bounce back. There’s a legitimate chance for the Russian goalie to compete for the starting job if things don’t go according to plan and the only one who can hold him back is himself. Tarasov will need to take a massive step forward statistically, though, as he did struggle in his minimal opportunities last season with a 3.91 goals-against average and an .892 save percentage in 17 games played. With the improved defense in front of them as well, the goaltending should truly be much better this time around.
Related: Blue Jackets May Finally Have Franchise Center in Fantilli
The Blue Jackets have a lot of players deserving of an NHL roster spot, however, some won’t be able to make the cut unfortunately. As we get closer to the start of the season, we’ll likely see some changes in order to prevent too many of them from being stuck in the AHL; however, it won’t be enough as the organization won’t want to sacrifice its depth either. Chinakhov, Jiricek and Tarasov are three players who definitely deserve a much larger opportunity this season and hopefully, they’ll get them.