Training camp is already stirring up the kind of questions that can follow a team all season, and three clubs are front and center: Edmonton, Toronto and Columbus.
In Edmonton, the message from practice was loud and clear. After a rough Monday session, Babcock didn’t hide his frustration, saying he didn’t like the pace, the compete level, or the way the team was taking in instruction.
McDavid, though, didn’t flinch. He said the standard being pushed is exactly what he wants, and that if the coach wasn’t happy with practice, that’s fair - the group just has to be better the next day.
That kind of edge is exactly what McDavid and the leadership group wanted when they pushed for Babcock in the first place. McDavid made it clear the players are on board with letting Babcock coach his way, as long as he doesn’t cross the line. Tuesday’s skate is the last one before a preseason rematch in Winnipeg, so Edmonton’s response to that blunt feedback will be worth watching.
Toronto, meanwhile, may have signed more than a goalie when it brought in 38-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky. The gamble is obvious enough: his age, the miles on his body, and the fact that last season his save percentage in Florida dipped to .877.
But Elliotte Friedman says Bobrovsky is also turning into a major voice in the room, one teammates really listen to when he talks. That kind of presence is the sort of veteran influence Toronto has been missing since the captaincy shifted away from Tavares.
The on-ice side of it still has to show up, of course. Preseason hasn’t been encouraging so far, with Toronto losing both games to Montreal and neither Bobrovsky nor Stolarz getting through the weekend without giving up goals.
Still, those results don’t mean much until the games count starting on September 29th. If Bobrovsky stays healthy and gets close to his championship-level form, this could look like a bargain for what he does in net and in the locker room.
Columbus is dealing with a messier picture. It’s not just one key player wondering about the future - it’s three.
Adam Fantilli remains out of camp while waiting on what he considers a fair extension. Kirill Marchenko won’t commit beyond his current deal.
And now Zach Werenski, the reigning Norris winner, apparently isn’t as settled as he once seemed.
According to insider Frank Seravalli, Werenski’s internal view hasn’t changed, and if the Blue Jackets asked him to answer today, they wouldn’t like the reply. He does want to stay, but he needs real reasons to believe it makes sense.
What happens with Fantilli and Marchenko matters here too. If both leave and Columbus slides again, Werenski’s chances of sticking around get a lot slimmer.
If the Blue Jackets can hold the group together and become competitive, the whole outlook shifts. For now, though, all three situations are unresolved as the season approaches.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Suddenly Have A Dante Fabbro Concern To Watch
Preseason injuries are piling up around the league, and the Blue Jackets have their own situation to monitor after defenseman Dante Fabbro left a game with an upper-body injury. Columbus is already in the part of camp where every shift matters, and any interruption to a projected lineup piece gets attention fast, especially on the back end where depth and continuity can be tested in a hurry.
Fabbros exit now sits alongside a handful of other early-camp health concerns elsewhere, with Pittsburgh forward Benjamin Kindel and Rangers forward Adam Sykora both leaving preseason games after lower-body issues, while Penguins winger Ville Koivunen also missed action after taking a puck to the face in practice. For Columbus, the focus is less on the broader preseason churn and more on how quickly Fabbro can get back on the ice and whether this becomes a brief setback or something the Blue Jackets need to track more closely. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Suddenly Have An Opening Night Blue Line Concern
The Blue Jackets were already working through the usual late-preseason roster sorting when the back end took a hit in Mondays game against Detroit. Dante Fabbro, projected to open the regular season on Columbus third defensive pairing, went down with an upper-body injury and did not return, a development that adds a little more uncertainty to a group that was trying to settle into shape before opening night.
For a team that wants stability on the blue line, the timing is far from ideal, especially with the regular season looming. If Fabbro is forced to miss time, veteran Erik Gudbranson looms as the most likely next man up, giving the Jackets a familiar, sturdier option while they wait to see how serious the injury is and how the rest of the defensive picture sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Win Comes With An Early Dante Fabbro Concern
The Blue Jackets got through their first preseason game with a win on the board, but the more immediate takeaway had little to do with the shootout finish. Columbus and its coaching staff were left to monitor Dante Fabbro, who exited early with an upper-body injury after logging a little over 8 minutes and will be reevaluated Tuesday morning, a reminder that September results often matter less than simply getting everyone through healthy.
The game itself never produced a goal in regulation, so the outcome came down to the skills competition and a handful of small details that preseason often magnifies. Columbus will gladly take the victory, but the focus now shifts to Fabbros status and whether the Blue Jackets have to deal with an early defensive absence before the exhibition slate really gets moving. [Read more 🡒]