A Thinking Fan's Viewing Guide to the NHL Playoffs
The Blue Jackets will not be in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2023-2024 for now the fourth consecutive year. Playoff hockey is still fun to watch and it’s still the goal for the Blue Jackets in 2024-2025.
So while we have to wait for any drip-fed news of the Blue Jackets’ NHL GM search and the draft is still months away (The U18s sans Berkly Catton and Cayden Lindstrom are also of less interest to draft watchers) we can still take a more active approach in Blue Jackets fandom.
Here, I present your guide to watching the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs as a team hoping to join these ranks shortly.
Tactical Storylines
Defense Corps Size
After recent playoff success of the Vegas Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning, as well as improbable run of the Montreal Candiens, some in the larger hockey world believe size on defense is positively correlated with success. Usually that success is more positively correlated with on defense than in forwards.
This season, some of the best defensive teams are the smallest. The Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche were top performers in the regular season whereas big heavy corps of Vegas and Tampa struggled.
Does the size trend continue or should we expect the regular season performance to carry through?
Defensive Systems
There has also been some discourse about play-style and defensive structure as it pertains to playoff success. All of the winners in recent memory have deployed zone or hybrid stuctures as opposed to player-on-player defensive structures (previously referred to as man-on-man, now I’m adopting something different for more fluid and seamless transitioning between Men’s and Women’s hockey coverage). From here, on-player, on-person and matchup defense all describe the style of defense previously referred to as man-on-man.
This playoff run could give us a few more data points as it relates to these systems.
The primary applicants of on-person defense are the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. Each of these teams focuses on aggressive defensemen who are connected to the defensive/forechecking effort in the offensive and neutral zones.
Users of zone or hybrid structures are significantly more common.
On either side of the size/weight spectrum are represented on either side of zone-player spectrum as well.
As it relates to the Blue Jackets:
Nashville is light, small and runs Box+1 (the Blue Jackets’ current system)
Vegas and Boston are tall, heavy and run Box+1
Florida is light, small and runs on-person
Carolina is tall, heavy and run on-person
Neutral Zone Re-entry
Darryl Belfry asserts that Neutral Zone Re-entry is the rush offense of the playoffs. This type of rush offense is created after opposition zone clears or failed exits and seeks to regroup and attack before the opposition can reset.
Nashville has some interesting tactics with defensemen activation during this offense. Florida and Vegas are the re-entry champions of the previous playoffs. Which teams deploy effective tactics in this type of offense? Does it still have a large influence? What are teams trying to do to stop or stifle this type of offense?
The Vegas Golden Knights
Reason(s) to Watch: The System, Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, Nicolas Roy, Kaeden Korczak
Box+1
The Blue Jackets primarily stole their defensive systems from the Vegas Golden Knights. This team, filled with large defensemen, was among the heaviest and tallest groups in the playoffs last year. Perhaps they piggybacked off of the Lightning’s status and built intentionally this way or perhaps it’s just what they had at their disposal.
Either way, Blue Jackets fans should watch their success with keen interest. Vegas struggled through the regular season, finishing 20th in goals against, so if they dramatically improve through the post-season there may be a benefit to a more conservative system. If not, perhaps the Blue Jackets can feel free to move towards a system that better fits their current youthful personnel.
I would also suggest to watch what techniques and tactics the team is using on neutral zone re-entry situations. If their opponents dump the puck out or clear the zone, watch how Vegas creates offense after recovering the puck. The Blue Jackets adding this dimension will be critical for their competitive growth moving forward.
Jonathan Marchessault
Due to Vegas’ intense pursuit of winning, they have a precarious cap situation. If the Blue Jackets want to bring a winning mindset into the club, two impending Unrestricted Free Agents should be on the viewing docket: Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson.
Marchessault is a 33 year old, diminutive right-handed inside-driven scoring winger. One of the original Golden Misfits, he won the Conn Smythe in 2022-2023. He’s rumored to be negotiating with Vegas coming into the playoffs, but they have only $1.6 million in projected cap-space for the 2024-25 season after trading for Tomas Hertl and signing Noah Hanifin to an $7.35m AAV extension.
The Blue Jackets would benefit greatly from his right-handedness and winning experience. It’s not clear that he would choose to join the Blue Jackets in free agency but he would be an excellent linemate for Adam Fantilli. At 33 years old, it’s doubtful his contract would extend well into the Blue Jackets cap-window and as such may be a preferred length.
Chandler Stephenson
Chandler Stephenson isn’t as attractive a target. He’ll be 30 going into next season and has been dramatically underpaid after his time on the Knights. He’s been a 60 point center in the mold of Jack Roslovic, including 20 points in 22 games in their Stanley Cup run, but is also a primary penalty killer. He’s smart, fast, runs his support routes well and loves to play F1 on the forecheck.
All-in-all he’s a good player and would be an improvement over the current centers on the Blue Jackets but his defensive numbers away from Mark Stone are ghoulish. He’s probably looking for a good final deal and the Blue Jackets would be wise to keep some cap free for someone a little more defensively responsible.
Nicolas Roy
The final player to watch is Nicolas Roy. He’s 27, 6’4” and a right-handed, defensively responsible center being paid $3m AAV for the next three years while producing 41 points in 69 games. In other words, he’s nearly everything the Blue Jackets lack and would be a remarkable insulator for young wingers and defensemen.
So why would Vegas move him? Well, they probably wouldn’t, but, they are an aggressive trading team, are up against the cap and will likely be their 4th line center (Eichel, Hertl, Karlsson). Perhaps they’d like more cap flexibility/efficiency that low in their lineup. Perhaps they too covet Marchessault’s experience and talent and will be willing to shuffle some pieces to make it happen.
Kaeden Korczak
Another perhaps unheralded name for the Golden Knights is Kaeden Korczak. He’s 22, right-handed and played in limited minutes due to injuries in the defense corps. In those minutes, he posted some very intriguing microstats. If the Blue Jackets are looking to bolster their blue-line or finding a potential long-term Werenski partner, he could be an interesting bet. If he plays in the playoffs, it could be more information about him under pressure.
The Florida Panthers
Reason(s) to Watch: Player-on-Player defense, Sam Reinhart, Gustav Forsling-Aaron Ekblad
On-Player Defense
The Florida Panthers have reinvented their team in recent years and have created a defensive stalwart from waiver-claims and low cost additions. They made the Stanley Cup Finals last year but couldn’t get it across the line.
Still, their defensive system is primarily driven by individual checking matchups. No Stanley Cup winner in recent memory has run this system but three of the most dominant regular season defenses (Vancouver, Florida and Carolina) all switched to on-player.
Primarily, Florida drives defensive results up-ice. Will they continue to be able to keep the puck away from their end? Does the systems payoffs still translate to strong playoff results or is it entirely driven by Florida’s personnel?
If it works, the Blue Jackets could adopt their activation focused mindset and unleash their talented defensemen. If not, perhaps they stay the course.
Sam Reinhart
Sam Reinhart has been a personal favorite of mine for quite some time. He’s an offensive genius who uses movement and anticipation to dominate across the ice. He’s a pending Unrestricted Free Agent and would be a remarkable addition to the Blue Jackets. Still, it seems almost guaranteed he stays with Florida.
Forsling-Ekblad
The Gustav Forsling-Aaron Ekblad pairing is one to watch. Forsling broke out as a tremendous defenseman who specializes in everything modern. His forward skating defensive style, both at and away from the opposition net, is an absolute treat. He can kill exits and re-gap on neutral zone re-entries in a way that looks perfectly designed to counter the next wave of offense.
I mention this pair specifically because Forsling is the exactly the type of defenseman Denton Mateychuk could be (he could also be more, theoretically, but a full career of Forsling style impacts would be tremendous).
Watching Forsling’s performance as an undersized defenseman is critical. Not only for whether or not he finds success but in the specifics. How does he make up for his size disadvantage? Does his regular season defensive success translate to the playoffs?
Similarly, Aaron Ekblad could serve as a comp for David Jiricek. He’s slow and has lost most of his skating but Jiricek won’t be as savvy or strong for a long time. Still Ekblad finds a way to make it work even without his young legs and is constantly moving aggressively up-ice. Does that translate to the playoffs or does his lost footspeed require him to adapt?
Luostarinen-Rodrigues
Side shout-out to Eetu Luostarinen and Evan Rodrigues. Both worth watching, especially if they can form an excellent line with Anton Lundell and allow Reinhart to remain paired with Barkov. These two do critical things for wingers at critical areas. Both serve as good studies for what the Blue Jackets should expect from their wings moving forward.
If there’s a salary cap pinch after signing Reinhart, perhaps the Blue Jackets can make an offer.
Carolina Hurricanes
Reason(s) to Watch: Defense, Motion Net Front, Teuvo Teravainen
On-Player Defense
Carolina plays a similar defense activation player-on-player defense. They get up ice and do most of their defending in the offensive zone with aggressive neutral zone defense. Another example of determining whether or not offensive and neutral zone defending can be a deciding factor even in the playoffs.
Motion Net Front
Further still, they are a cutting edge team in terms of the new style of net-front. Gone are cross-check eaters in are constant motion flash-screens, moving behind the net for side-deflections, and box-out into pop-out shooting opportunities. None are better than Sebastian Aho and Jake Guentzel.
The Blue Jackets have excellent throw-back net front players like Boone Jenner and Dmitri Voronkov but they also have players like Johnny Gaudreau, Kent Johnson and even newcomer Gavin Brindley who could benefit from a more motion based approach. If Carolina can find continued success with their approach, it should serve as a platform to adopt some techniques and tactics.
Carolina is currently undergoing a bit of a roster and style shakeup. They have notable pending UFAs Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce. Martin Necas is an RFA due a big raise.
Teuvo Teravainen
Teravainen is another motion offensive zone player with good defensive metrics and high hockey sense. He could be a veteran add that helps insulate some of the young players and bring them into a more modern style of play. His performance in the heat of the playoffs could be a deciding factor. He’ll turn 30 before next season, so a deal would have to be the right length for the Blue Jackets.
Dallas Stars
Reason(s) to Watch: Stanley Cup Win = Front Office Poaching? Matt Duchene, Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven, Thomas Harley
Front Office
The primary reason to watch, or to cheer for a Dallas Stanley Cup Victory, is the hopes that it would provide valuable experience and closure for anyone potentially leaving the organization. Jim Nill has been at the head of successful organizations in Detroit and Dallas for quite a long time and has built the picture of building for long-term success as he’s integrated waves of young talent into his team.
Perhaps it isn’t in the cards for him to move on/up, would PoHo in Columbus be worth in? Would Jim Lites move aside for him to ascend?
Even if it’s not him, perhaps the Blue Jackets could tempt an AGM or another Front Office member to leave for a bigger role with the Blue Jackets. Scott White, AGM/GM of AHL club Texas Stars, Steve Greeley Director of Player Development/Strategy/Scouting, Rich Peverley Dir. of Player Personnel and/or Joe McDonnel Dir. of Amateur Scouting all have major success under their belts for the Dallas Stars.
As far as the on-ice product goes, there’s a lot to watch there as well. Joe Pavelski was an instrumental add for their playstyle as he helped Hintz/Robertson into more than one-and-done players. Is he the grandfather of the motion net-front?
Johnston-Stankoven
If he is, Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven have certainly picked up where he left off. Two new young prospects who had little issue adjusting to the NHL game and have made a living around the net. More techniques/tactics to study.
Matt Duchene
Matt Duchene left the org after not being offered a contract by Jarmo Kekelainen. He signed a 1 year prove-it deal in free agency with Dallas and has resurrected his career on a middle-six offensive leaning line. He’s not a big guy by any means but he uses his body to dictate results as well.
He is a pending UFA and he’s 33, wins a lot of faceoffs, is a wizard at orchestrating plays at the blue-line and is a hockey nerd who loves breaking down tape. Sounds like the perfect mentor for Kent Johnson to me. Perhaps his age means he would settle for a shorter-term deal and he reportedly loved the atmosphere and lifestyle of Columbus.
Thomas Harley
Thomas Harley’s performance in the playoffs can serve as another archetype development pathway for the Blue Jackets and their young defensemen. He was seasoned well in the AHL, paired with a veteran in Ryan Suter until he earned the coach’s trust and then turned into rocket fuel as a partner for Miro Heiskanen. When puck-movers can be paired with puck-movers, it opens up more possibilities.
We saw this effect with Zach Werenski and Adam Boqvist but whether that same style can hold into the playoffs is another question. The Stars added Chris Tanev at the deadline but the Harley-Heiskanen pairing is still firmly on the table.
Boston Bruins
Reason(s) to Watch: The System, The Habits, Derek Forbort, Matt Grzelcyk, Andrew Peeke
Box+1
Another example of a veteran team with long won success that runs a Box+1 defensive system. Except this time, they aren’t so strong down the middle.
Boston has found regular season success once again this year. David Pastrnak has continued to take steps and is carrying along Pavel Zacha while Marchand works with Charlie Coyle. Does it still work without Patrice Bergeron as a stalwart? Coyle has filled in admirably as a heavy-matchup center but the playoffs are a different beast.
The Bruins will still be worth watching because of the savvyness that their best players play with. Pastrnak and Marchand, and Bergeron before them, have an uncanny ability to control opposition defensive sticks. They move their bodies to remove strength and leverage and never hesitate to trap a stick along the boards.
Derek Forbort
They have two pending UFA defensemen who may be worth watching. The first is Derek Forbort who has been one of the best net front controllers on the team. His experience in the Box+1 system may be valuable to a Blue Jackets team who is in desperate need of savvy defenders to insulate young defensemen.
Matt Grzelcyk
Matt Grzelcyk is similar though his on-ice results have taken a nose-dive. He was a sterling partner for Charlie McAvoy but is much more focused on getting active through the neutral zone. Depending on how the org weighs his drop-off and playstyle, his experience next to a right-handed talent could also help him mentor David Jiricek.
Andrew Peeke
Andrew Peeke was much maligned, including me, within a lot of the analytics community. I have some time for the player in a limited role but despised him as a partner for Zach Werenski. Unfortunately, that limited role was entirely eclipsed by the signing of Erik Gudbranson.
Following his performance in the Boston system could be instructive. Does he still struggle under pressure? Does he look like a better under a different coach and while surrounded by different players? The answers could mean a lot for the current coaching staff and Blue Jackets roster.
If he looks good, then the Blue Jackets must be doing something wrong. If he looks bad, perhaps it was just Jarmo Kekelainen’s misplaced faith.
New York Islanders
Reason(s) to Watch: Systems Change
Systems Change
The Islanders under Lane Lambert played a conservative Box+1 system that looked a lot like the Blue Jackets. Perhaps, even, too much alike.
Under Patrick Roy, they were significantly more aggressive and played more like John Tortorella’s Philadelphia Flyers. It’s a hybrid that asks for a lot more skating and energy from its skaters. Can that system sustain success in the playoffs?
Should the Blue Jackets also move-on from their up-and-coming veteran coach’s protege or is Pascal Vincent a better coach than Lane Lambert? All questions that won’t quite be answered by the Islander’s playoff run but it could at least give us food for thought or ammunition for our preferred narrative.
New York Rangers
Reason(s) to Watch: Panarin-Lafrenière, Alex Wennberg, Jack Roslovic, K’Andre Miller, Braden Schneider, Kappo Kakko
Panarin-Lafrenière Connection
First, Artemi Panarin is worth the price of admission full-stop.
The primary point of investigation for a Blue Jackets fan would be the continued partnership of Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafrenière. The young 1st overall pick has struggled for much of his career but has surged with his new deployment. Perhaps this could be something of a model for Kent Johnson?
The Blue Jackets don’t exactly have an Artemi Panarin talent (Gaudreau is good but in a different way) but perhaps moving Kent Johnson to his off-wing and with talented players who can help him play in rhythm are the key to breaking him out. Trocheck’s role in their success shouldn’t be underestimated either.
Roslovic + Wennberg
Jack Roslovic and Alex Wennberg should only be watched because they are former Blue Jackets. I don’t have a great reason other than that really, I wish them well.
K’Andre Miller
K’Andre Miller is an incredible defenseman. If you aren’t familiar with his game, you should be. He’s a master of rush defense tactics and moves forward off the rush to attack with supreme intelligence. He’s one of the few defenseman I’ve observed that can pinch and create middle offense in the way that Zach Werenski oftentimes does.
His impact has been muted this season but if he’s ever available the Blue Jackets should be all-in. Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba flagging in performance makes it all the less likely but players this talented don’t come around very often.
Braden Schneider
Braden Schneider is another defenseman to watch. He’s young, coming off of his ELC and a decently sized right-handed defenseman. He’s got a bag of modern, neutral zone play-killing tricks but isn’t as easy a fit for the Blue Jackets roster. At the moment, he doesn’t necessarily provide a stronger bet than some others but he could be expendable for the Rangers after this season (he’s an RFA and they have to sign Ryan Lindgren, Kappo Kakko this offseason as well as Miller, Lafrenière next offseason).
Kappo Kakko
Kappo Kakko is similar to Alexis Lafrenière in that he’s not meeting his lofty draft pedigree. He’s still an excellent player along the boards and has an intriguing profile as a winger who helps move the puck up-ice from the defensive zone. Mikko Rantanen profiled well in these areas as a complement to Nathan MacKinnon, perhaps Kakko then serves as a good target for a Fantilli partnership.
It would be quite a large bet on unrecovered upside, but Kakko’s defensive metrics are pretty good. Perhaps a sturdier wall-to-middle playmaker is exactly what he needs to pair well with a player like Kent Johnson or Johnny Gaudreau.
Nashville Predators
Reason(s) to Watch: System, Roman Josi, Alexandre Carrier
The Smoked Brisket Offense
The Nashville Predators moved to a “smoked brisket” offense under new head coach Andrew Brunette. They moved on from specific players aggressively to establish a new culture and they found a way into the playoffs in Brunette’s season.
Why is this important? Well, they found good ways to insulate their talent and are proving how quality coaching can make a difference. Brunette’s system prioritizes defenseman activity on the wings. They essentially serve as wing-backs in the offensive zone and the forwards maintain posture and structure between the dots. The Blue Jackets also have very active defensemen on the flanks and studying the differences between the teams could be instructive.
Roman Josi
No player is more important that Roman Josi. He’s having somewhat of a late-career renaissance but his performance this season was driven by a necessary change and his quick adaptation. Previously he was a carry dominant rusher, now he passes early and moves into middle support. This has helped unlock Filip Forsberg.
Zach Werenski is already performing a middle pass-first style but finding the differences between Werenski and Josi could be important to determine the next steps forward for Werenksi. Is it easier deployment? Better partner? Something within the smoked brisket offense? Or is it simply Roman Josi’s handling skillset.
Either way, studying Roman Josi’s playstyle, especially in the playoffs, could give the Blue Jackets a roadmap for Zach Werenski’s aging curve. However Josi finds success in the playoffs should be where we ask Zach too.
Alexandre Carrier
Similarly, Alexandre Carrier should be a player of note. He’s a 5’11” right-handed defenseman with sterling defensive metrics (especially shorthanded and against elite competition) who is going to be a UFA this offseason. His undersized, and there is something of an undercurrent for defenseman size mattering, so his performance is something to watch for moving forward.
Furthermore, he’s not just a defensive defenseman. He’s active in the neutral zone, especially at killing plays, but he goes forward and joins the forecheck when its the right time as well. In a word, he could be a perfect Zach Werenski partner if we’re trying to find more insulation. The Blue Jackets have in-house options with Damon Severson and Nick Blankenburg but if they are looking for a fresh perspective and better metrics, he should be a target.
Los Angeles Kings
Reasons to Watch: You like the 1-3-1, Vladislav Gavrikov, Viktor Arvidsson
The LA Kings have been pioneers, or at least the biggest proponents of, the 1-3-1 neutral zone forecheck. It was a problem for the Blue Jackets and it’s been a problem for plenty of other teams. What it has done well, however, is set up a defensive pair structure for the LA Kings that has allowed Drew Doughty to age gracefully as a retriever.
He’s stayed healthy and maximized his immense retrieval and passing abilities partly because of the extra time and space that the neutral zone structure buys him on dumped-in pucks. I don’t believe the Blue Jackets should move towards this type of system, but it’s a good example of how to structure a team to play into your player’s strengths.
Viktor Arvidsson
Viktor Arvidsson has been a big part of a strong matchup-line for the LA Kings. He’s undersized, a pending UFA, and had unfortunately injury luck as of late. That being said, he’s dynamic and attacks hard between checks in the offensive zone. Perhaps his experience and handedness would serve as valuable insulators for Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson or Cole Sillinger. Perhaps he would even be something of a preview for what the Blue Jackets’ Gavin Brindley could eventually develop into.
Vladislav Gavrikov
Vladislav Gavrikov is just awesome. He’s an excellent example of a talented “defensive” defenseman who moves off the puck offensively and lands on the net. Despite his reputation, he stays up in the play and isn’t afraid to play below the goal-line in the offensive zone. This still works for his identity. Sometimes the best defensive play you can make is making offense easier for your team.
Vancouver Canucks
Reason(s) to Watch: Hughes-Hronek, Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Ian Cole
The Canucks, under new coach Rick Tocchet, have become a very different hockey club. The engine of their ascension into a contender was their renewed commitment to defensive structure. They acquired appropriate personnel to complement the playstyle including aggressive neutral zone defenders Carson Soucy and Nikita Zadorov.
Like Carolina and Florida, they are following an aggressive up-ice neutral zone defensive style that could fit the Blue Jackets active defensemen. Like the other teams, their success in the playoffs could have plenty of implications going forward.
They don’t run strict on-player in-zone defense but run a hybrid zone. Still the playoff success implications for strong 1on1 defenders (especially from defensemen instead of just wingers high in the zone) should hold true.
Hughes-Hronek
Similarly to Dallas, Vancouver found success pairing Quinn Hughes not with a stay-at-home defenseman but with Filip Hronek another puck-mover that could help enhance his style. The success of this type of pairing in the playoffs could also have future implications for how the Blue Jackets should create their pairing structures.
The key to watch is their defensive performance and style. Can they retain their either-goes playstyle in the playoffs or is Quinn Hughes’ skating the key to success in intense situations? If they can’t maintain, how do they adjust and what makes it work?
Elias Lindholm
Elias Lindholm has largely been a dud for the Vancouver Canucks. Perhaps he was simply a good fit and a passenger on the elite Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk line. All-in-all this could be a good thing for the Blue Jackets. Perhaps now he’ll become available in free agency and won’t command high-dollars for max term. Maybe reuniting him with Gaudreau can help bump Boone Jenner into a more supportive role.
Zadorov and Cole are also pending Unrestricted Free Agents who have published some pretty good defensive seasons. Should the Blue Jackets move on from Provorov and Jake Bean, and not feel comfortable with Mateychuk in the top four, perhaps these would be two good targets.
Ian Cole
Ian Cole had some alleged unsavory behavior but is reportedly a communicative and stalwart veteran defenseman. Provided his off-ice checks out, that could make him a decent pairing with David Jiricek.
Nikita Zadorov
Zadorov should have plenty of competition for his signature but the possibility of returning him to the style and system where he succeeded in Calgary (paired with Erik Gudbranson in the best performance of his career) could be a positive development move should the Blue Jackets change defensive structure.
Zadorov has a reputation for being a “defensive defenseman” but really I think he’s just big and hits. Otherwise, his style is much more reminiscent of Damon Severson. He’s aggressive at moving the puck up-ice, defends early in the offensive zone and has a penchant for making some big mistakes. I wouldn’t necessarily categorize him as a Rover but he certainly doesn’t stay at home.
Both defensemen found more success in limited roles against lower competition (though Severson has had success against top-competition in the past).
Worth checking in, in any case.
Colorado Avalanche
Reason(s) to Watch: “Undersized Defense,” Nathan MacKinnon, Arturri Lehkonen, Lineup Adjustments
The Colorado Avalanche have fallen out of favor since their dominant Stanley Cup Win. They’ve rectified some of their roster holes with trade deadline additions the primary one being 2C after adding Casey Mittelstadt.
Undersized Defense
Still, the thing to watch for this club is the size of their defense and its implications on their style of play. Colorado was the last team to win a cup with an undersized defense corps featuring talented puck-movers like Cale Makar, Sam Girard (though he was injured in the first round) and Bowen Byram.
Following their techniques and tactics could create a roadmap for a Blue Jackets club that may have Denton Mateychuk and Nick Blankenburg (or Adam Boqvist) on the roster.
Nathan MacKinnon
Mackinnon has been a dominant center and his power, speed and competitiveness has been reinventing the way superstar centers play the game. He just covers so much ice and takes so much responsibility.
It’s unlikely Adam Fantilli reaches this specific level of impact but in studying the responsibilities and framework of Nathan MacKinnon we can get an idea of what Fantilli should be shooting for.
Arturri Lehkonen
Lehkonen is someone Blue Jackets fans should watch purely because of his off-puck mastery. He’s nearly the perfect complement for skilled players and someone who Alexandre Texier or Gavin Brindley should model their game after.
What he does in the neutral zone to serve as accelerant is fascinating and theoretically should translate to intense playoff hockey very well. Studying the hows and whys of his game should yield valuable insight.
Lineup Adjustments
The more important reason to watch could be how Jared Bednar uses the two aforementioned players as tactical interplay. Against the Blue Jackets, MacKinnon was significantly more effective when paired with Lehkonen partially because of pressure and won pucks.
With Rantanen, Drouin or Nichuskin the Blue Jackets were able to get zone exits and mitigate the sustained impact MacKinnon could have. Perhaps that was a team specific issue but watching closely how the top-six is arranged and tweaked through a series could give us good details about what adjustments are effective in certain situations.
Winnipeg Jets
Reason(s) to watch: Cole Perfetti? Adam Lowry deployment
Cole Perfetti
Perfetti is a supremely talented young player who has been squeezed from the lineup down the stretch. Rick Bowness has had a strange affinity for Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele and has even underplayed Nikolaj Ehlers.
Does that continue with Perfetti? He’s got the skills to be a dynamic delay playmaking presense. If he’s underused going into an RFA negotiations this season, he could make waves in the offseason. If he’s used and thrives, the Blue Jackets should make note of how they could perhaps extract the same performance from Kent Johnson.
Adam Lowry
Adam Lowry is perhaps the supreme matchup line center at the moment in a playoffs filled with them. If he continues to have a huge impact and warps the playoffs to his game, it would have significant implications for the Blue Jackets future roster construction.
Do they feel Cole Sillinger can be that kind of matchup center or would the Blue Jackets still be on the search for someone with that kind of defensive acumen?
Tampa Bay Lightning
Reason(s) to Watch: Big Defense, Steven Stamkos
Big Defense
The Tampa Bay Lightning might be the model club of a big and slow defense. They have Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak but otherwise their defense corps has been largely wrangled together from pieces and parts.
Do this inexperienced but big players struggle? Or does Tampa simply know how to develop solid defensemen? Is there something withing the system that promotes their success and makes integration easy?
Either way, the Blue Jackets could be poaching Mathieu Darche from their org and it could be something for fans to watch for.
Steven Stamkos
Steven Stamkos is the Lightning Captain and has had a somewhat public response about his lack of contract heading into the summer.
He’s had a somewhat putrid year at 5v5 but still remains a dynamic scorer on the powerplay. He’s right handed and would come with tremendous leadership ability. The Blue Jackets would no doubt be interested in acquiring his services as he works into the twilight of his career.
If Mathieu Darche is indeed added, would Stamkos follow? Could he be their Pavelski? Or is Tampa simply going to sign him after the season?
Washington Capitals
Reason(s) to Watch: Rampant, Misguided Hope
The Washington Capitals made it into the playoffs with the worst goal differential in recent memory. The Eastern wildcard race was one of the most pitiful affairs we’ve seen in quite some time.
For the Blue Jackets, this could be a potentially toxic event. Perhaps then, fans can believe that they too can be lucky enough to get into the playoffs without so much improvement. After all, if the Capitals can make the playoffs with a -37 goal differential then perhaps the Blue Jackets’ -63 doesn’t look so bad?
Toronto Maple Leafs
Reason(s) to Watch: ???
The Toronto Maple Leafs are certainly interesting team and Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander are worth the watch. But as it relates to the Blue Jackets, I’m not sure how much there is to be gained outside of pure learning information.
Perhaps its just breaking down the techniques and tactics that Matthews uses to score goals. His heaviness on sticks and quick release could be a model for Kirill Marchenko. That type of competitiveness will be necessary for Marchenko to develop into a star. It might even be necessary for him to join the top-line considering his lack of top-end footspeed.
Furthermore, perhaps the reason to watch is more psychological. The Maple Leafs will once again face their demons in the first round. How do they overcome that hurdle? Can they? Should you stick with a core that is good regular season performers but hasn’t found long-term success quite yet? It worked with Ovechkin but the clock is certainly clicking for the Leafs.