The Blue Jackets have only played two games, but a few early patterns are already easy to spot. Matthew Knies has arrived with a real jolt, Zach Werenski and Denton Mateychuk have been asked to carry massive loads on the blue line, and the roster math is about to get more complicated as injured defensemen inch back toward availability.
Coming off Saturday night’s 4-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth at home, Columbus now gets five full days off before hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. That stretch should give the team time to practice, tighten things up and keep building chemistry after a start that has already forced some lineup shuffling.
The biggest early headline is Knies. The trade that sent Kirill Marchenko to the other side will be judged for years, and the early return is exactly the kind of spark Columbus hoped for. Knies leads the Blue Jackets with 2-2-4 through his first two games, and he made franchise history in the process by becoming the first Blue Jacket to debut with the team and score multiple goals.
He has already shown two different scoring looks. One came on a power-play one-timer.
The other was a deflection in front. That’s a pretty clear snapshot of what he brings: finishing ability, timing and the kind of hands that let him score in more than one way.
Just as important, the Blue Jackets are using him where Marchenko had played. But the early lesson here is that Knies is not a carbon copy replacement. He’s his own player, and he fits what Columbus wants from that spot.
His production has also come with some help from the players around him. Charlie Coyle set up Knies for the power-play goal, and Emil Andrae’s shot created the second one when Knies got himself into position for the deflection. Knies has also chipped in as a playmaker, setting up Zach Werenski before Adam Fantilli tipped the shot in, and then making a strong board pass to spring Kent Johnson for Columbus’ only goal on Saturday.
The line’s results have been encouraging even if the possession numbers are not overwhelming. Per Nat Stat Trick, Knies’ line has logged 22:57 together at 5-on-5.
They’re at 46.7% in shot attempts, but they’re ahead in scoring chances, 11-7, and goals, 3-1. That points to a group that has been opportunistic and efficient so far, even if some correction could be coming as the sample grows.
On the back end, Columbus has had little choice but to lean hard on Werenski and Mateychuk with Ivan Provorov, Damon Severson and Dante Fabbro out. Werenski led all skaters in average ice time entering Wednesday at 30:15, while Mateychuk was third at 27:48. Both can handle those kinds of minutes in a pinch, but that is not the workload the Blue Jackets want to ask for on a regular basis.
The defense should start to settle soon. Carson Soucy arrived from a camp tryout, Andrae came in via trade, and the group has been fluid while the injured defensemen recover.
The encouraging sign is that Severson could be ready for Friday if everything goes according to plan. Even one return would change the look of the blue line quickly, with Severson able to go back alongside Werenski and Mateychuk sliding into a more balanced second-pair role.
That also raises the question of who gets squeezed out. Right now, Jake Christiansen looks like the odd man out.
He played 7:05 in the opener and 9:47 in the second game, and he’s the seventh defenseman with Severson nearing a return. If that’s where he stands now, he could slide even farther down once Provorov and Fabbro are healthy.
Carrying nine defensemen is not ideal, but Christiansen would also be one injury away from being back in the lineup. It’s a tricky spot, and one that requires him to stay ready.
The special teams picture has already swung both ways. Against Buffalo, they helped win the game.
Against Utah, they helped lose it. Columbus took nine minors over its first two games, and that’s simply too many.
Even a good penalty kill can only survive so much pressure before it breaks, and the Mammoth made the Jackets pay for it.
There’s also a roster-management wrinkle hanging over all of this. If Severson is ready Friday, the Blue Jackets would only need a paper move to activate him because his salary is already counting against the cap.
If injuries keep piling up, though, Columbus is in LTIR and operating with very little room. That’s why the team has been carrying just 21 players.
For now, only Isac Lundestrom is on LTIR. But once Provorov and Fabbro are ready, the Blue Jackets will have to figure out how to get back to a 23-man roster. That doesn’t have to be solved today, but it’s coming.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets May Have A Prospect Rising Faster Than Expected
Alessandro Di Iorio is giving Columbus something worth tracking in a hurry. The Blue Jackets picked him 94th overall, and the early returns with the Sarnia Sting have been encouraging, with the center already making an impact as the junior season opens and helping a team that looks sharper than it did a year ago.
Di Iorio is still wearing the captains letter for Sarnia, which matters almost as much as the production itself. For Columbus, the appeal is obvious: a prospect who is not only putting up offense, but also driving results in a bigger role and starting to look like more than a long-term project. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Suddenly Have A Pavel Zacha Decision They Wanted To Avoid
Pavel Zachas name has been in the Bruins trade conversation before, and the timing matters now. NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported Boston weighed the idea of moving him in a potential deal that would have involved Kirill Marchenko and the Columbus Blue Jackets, though nothing came together. With one year left on his contract, Zacha is heading toward unrestricted free agency, which already put the Bruins in a delicate spot with a player they would rather not have to sort through midseason.
The larger issue is that Boston may not get a clean resolution anytime soon. Extension talks have stalled, and if the Bruins stumble this season while Zacha still lacks a new deal, the front office could be pushed back toward the same uncomfortable decision near the trade deadline. For Columbus, it is another reminder that Marchenkos name has been valuable enough to surface in bigger league conversations, even when those talks never get over the finish line. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Had One Of Their Wildest Wins Ever Against Pittsburgh
The Blue Jackets' early years were full of growing pains, but Jan. 11, 2006, at Nationwide Arena still stands out as one of the wildest nights in franchise history. Columbus and Pittsburgh spent most of the game in the penalty box, with both teams taking 21 penalties apiece, turning a routine divisional matchup into a stop-start slog that tested discipline, depth and patience on both benches.
Even with all that chaos, Columbus found a way to turn the game into a lopsided win by cashing in on its chances and surviving the special-teams scramble. The Jackets scored six goals, got two of them on the power play, and were sharp enough in the key moments to keep Pittsburgh from ever fully taking over the night. [Read more 🡒]