Projecting the Columbus Blue Jackets' Opening Night Roster

We're now less than three weeks from the start of the NHL season. Teams are finalizing their rosters and signing their RFAs, and players are beginning their training camps and gearing up for pre-season action. The Columbus Blue Jackets had another summer (and frankly a whole season) where they saw their high-skill players leave town. First, it was Pierre-Luc Dubois requesting a trade and ending up in Winnipeg, then Nick Foligno left at the trade deadline and eventually signed in Boston, Cam Atkinson was traded to Philly, and then Seth Jones was sent to Chicago for picks and prospects. That's the kind of trade a rebuilding team makes. Add to that an injury to Max Domi that will leave him out for at least the first month of the season, and Columbus is operating with a depleted roster this season. The remaining players may be questioning what exactly the plan is for the Blue Jackets, because despite these departures, some new names have also joined the team, and big money was spent on re-signing others. Does this team have what it takes to compete for the playoffs? The answer lies in the roster they put on the ice. Let's take a look, starting at forward:

Gustav Nyquist - Boone Jenner - Jakub Voracek

Patrick Laine - Alexandre Texier - Oliver Bjorkstrand

Sean Kuraly - Cole Sillinger - Yegor Chinakov

Eric Robinson - Emil Bemstrom - Jack Roslovic

Kevin Stenlund

Liam Foudy

Brandon Gaunce

This lineup is a lot better than the Jackets are getting credit for. In part, that is due to the uncertainty surrounding the play of Patrick Laine and Alex Texier. Both should start in the top 6 this season, but their position is far from secure, especially considering the eventual return of Domi, and the eye-catching play of Cole Sillinger in the preseason. Speaking of, both Sillinger and Chinakov are currently making strong cases for why they should be in the lineup for opening night. Between the uncertainty surrounding the season for the Jackets, as well as the injury to Domi opening up a roster spot, there's little reason why both rookies shouldn't get a shot at breaking into the NHL. All of these pieces playing at their best make for a solid group of young, skilled forwards, but if they can't maintain that level of play, the results will show that.

A similar fog of uncertainty surrounds the Jackets' defence, who have lost some key pieces but added some new ones in their place:

Zach Werenski - Vladislav Gavrikov

Jake Bean - Adam Boqvist

Scott Harrington - Andrew Peeke

Dean Kukan

Mikko Lehtonen

This whole group is a work in progress, and outside of Werenski, fans should expect these pairings to shift throughout the season. The biggest factor in this will be the play of Adam Boqvist, who is still considered a top defensive prospect despite a slow start to his career in Chicago. He'll have more room to grow with his club in Columbus, and will be given every opportunity to earn himself a spot on the top pairing. Should that happen, the rest of the defensive pieces will shuffle accordingly. With that said, Boqvist is still only 21-years old, and expecting him to start the year any higher than the second pairing would be asking too much. He'll need to play his way up the lineup, something he's more than capable of doing.

In goal, Columbus still has a rock-solid pair of netminders, with more on their way up the pipeline:

Elvis Merzlikins

Joonas Korpisalo

Daniil Tarasov

It would appear that Merzlikins has solidified himself as the starter in Columbus, and his new contract suggests the team feels the same. That leaves Korpisalo as the backup, not a bad pairing to run with on any team. Meanwhile, Daniil Tarasov put up some truly inspired numbers in the KHL last season, and while his start in the AHL was uneven, it's a good bet he'll adapt to the North American game in short order. These three make up a deep and talented group of goalies that will keep Columbus in every game they play for years to come.

What do you think of this Blue Jackets roster, and what would you change?

Photo credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports