With training camp set to open in Columbus tomorrow, the Blue Jackets are heading into a stretch where several roster decisions still need to be sorted out. A few spots are already spoken for, but there are also openings where camp performances, chemistry, and direct competition could end up deciding everything.
One of the clearest battles to watch sits in goal, where Cam Talbot appears to have the early lead for the backup job behind Jet Greaves. That said, nothing is locked in yet, especially with Pheonix Copley also in the mix after Columbus added both veterans for extra depth following Elvis Merzlikins’ surgery in August.
Talbot arrives with a lot more NHL mileage than the other options. He has played 567 games at the league level and spent the last two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.
Last year, though, was rough: a .883 save percentage, a 3.19 goals-against average, and -13.1 goals saved above expected. Even so, there’s still reason to believe the Jackets are betting on a rebound.
In the two seasons before that, he averaged a .907 save percentage and 23.5 goals saved above expected.
The question is how much is left in the tank for the 39-year-old, and whether camp will show enough to justify the current pecking order.
Copley brings a very different resume. He has appeared in just ten NHL games over the last three seasons and posted a .871 save percentage in that span.
But he has been more reliable in the AHL over the last two years, finishing each season with a save percentage above .900 and a goals-against average under 2.60. He’s also 34, so while he’s not exactly young, he does offer a slightly different profile than Talbot.
For now, Talbot seems to have the inside track. But with Merzlikins’ return date still unclear, both veterans have a real opening to make their case. If either one catches fire in camp, the backup job could become theirs to lose.
Another spot worth watching is a group where the top end is already largely settled, but one or two final roster places still look available.
In Other News...
Bowness Is Already Calling Out A Blue Jackets Camp Problem
Training camp barely got rolling before Rick Bowness was already sending a message about the standard he expects from the Blue Jackets. The first-year coach said he was dissatisfied with the conditioning of some players as camp opened, and he pointed to the kind of details that matter early, when teams are setting habits and trying to reset the tone for the season ahead. He also made clear the club will have to navigate more than one issue at once, with injuries and roster uncertainty already part of the backdrop.
Bowness has talked repeatedly about changing the culture in Columbus, and this was another reminder that he plans to treat camp as the starting point for that process, not a ceremonial checkpoint. The club has little margin for loose ends, and the next few days figure to show how firmly Bowness wants to draw lines on effort, readiness and accountability before the Blue Jackets get too deep into their preseason work. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Suddenly Face A Worrying Core Contract Problem
The Blue Jackets are staring at a familiar kind of front-office anxiety, the sort that can hang over a team even when the on-ice product is still taking shape. Around the league, contract drama is hardly in short supply, from Detroits split thinking on Dylan Larkin to Winnipegs dispute over what was said and what was meant with Connor Hellebuyck, and Columbus is now dealing with its own version of that uncertainty as it tries to keep the foundation intact.
At the center of it are Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko, two players Columbus would ideally build around for the long haul. The problem is that the club does not yet have clear security on either front, and for a team trying to steady its course, that leaves a real question about how much of its core can be counted on as the years move forward. [Read more 🡒]
Kirill Marchenko Just Gave Blue Jackets Fans More To Worry About
Kirill Marchenkos future with the Blue Jackets is suddenly a bigger talking point than his production, and that is not where Columbus wanted to be with one of its most intriguing young forwards. When asked about what comes next, Marchenko stayed guarded and gave little away, leaving the impression that the situation around him is still very much unsettled.
The uncertainty only grew because the tone of his answers matched the larger buzz already circling the team. Earlier reports from Kevin Weekes suggested Marchenkos camp was unlikely to sign an extension with Columbus, and his reluctance to say much has only fed the speculation that the Blue Jackets may be staring at a possible departure down the line. [Read more 🡒]