The Columbus Blue Jackets camp and preseason is underway, and six players have been released from their training camp roster today. This was announced today by general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, leaving the Jackets with 30 forwards, 18 defenseman, and five goalies at training camp.
Columbus Blue Jackets Release Six Players from Training Camp Roster
The six players that were released from training camp today were left wing Luke Kirwan, left wing Trent Fox, right wing Justin Brazeau, defenseman Stephen Desrocher, defenseman Medric Mercier, and defenseman Nate Billitier.
Luke Kirwan
The 19-year-old left wing has been playing for the Flint Firebirds of the OHL for the last two seasons. He hasn’t lit up the score sheet, but had 14 goals and eight assists in 31 games last season for a Firebirds organization that was recovering from a tumultuous 2015-16 campaign.
Trent Fox
The 20-year-old left-handed winger had a similar season to that of Kirwan last year, not really lighting up the stat sheet. As an overager, this points to why he went undrafted. He had 13 goals and 19 assists in 64 games for the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL.
Justin Brazeau
Brazeau, 19, took a significant jump between his first and second season in the OHL. In 2015-16 he had six goals and seven assists for the North Bay Battalion. He made a jump last season to 22 goals and 15 assists. Unfortunately for Brazeau, this wasn’t enough to continue on with the Jackets and he will likely be returning to the Battalion this season.
Stephen Desrocher
The first defenseman on the list of cuts, Desrocher was also the first that was a former draft pick. Taken in the sixth round, 155th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs back in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Desrocher hasn’t played above the OHL. In the last two seasons he has had 35 and 51 points respectively as an overager for the Kingston Frontenacs.
Medric Mercier
Much like Desrocher, Mercier had a solid season last year for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Oshawa Generals. Mercier had 22 goals and 30 assists in 67 games. While he is an overager, 52 points from a left-handed defenseman makes him an enticing player to keep an eye on. His 6’3″, 210-pound frame doesn’t hurt his case either.
Nate Billitier
The 21-year-old left-handed defenseman is taking a different route than the first five after being released from Blue Jackets training camp. He has committed to Queen’s University in Canada to continue his hockey career. This isn’t the first time that he’s played college hockey, as Billitier played in nine games for Notre Dame back in 2014-15.
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