The look of the 2017-18 Columbus Blue Jackets has been set, and the opening night roster has been set. The final wave of cuts has been made, and a few names have been placed on both the injured/non-roster list as well as the injured reserve.
2017-18 Columbus Blue Jackets Opening Night Roster Set
The Columbus Blue Jackets have made some last minute cuts and have put three names on either the injured/non-roster list or the injured reserve. This gives the fans their first look at the opening night roster.
Players Sent Down
Three players were assigned to the Blue Jackets AHL-affiliate today, the Cleveland Monsters. Those three names are forward Tyler Motte, forward Kole Sherwood, and defenseman John Ramage.
Both Ramage and Sherwood have potential, but will likely spend their entire season with the Monsters, barring any unforeseen injury crisis. This is a different story to what Motte could experience during the 2017-18 season.
Anyone who has seen Motte extensively has spoken very highly of him. While he may not be starting the season in the NHL, there is every reason to believe he will get some time with the Blue Jackets this year. As of now he looks to be the fifth center with captain Nick Foligno moving back to the center of the ice.
If there are any injuries to Alexander Wennberg, Foligno, Brandon Dubinsky, or Lukas Sedlak during the season, Motte could be one of the first names to see NHL action.
Players Added to Injured/Non-Roster List & Injured Reserve
There were two players added to the injured/non-roster list today, and those are Boone Jenner and Sam Vigneault. Losing Jenner is a blow, but it is going to open the opportunity for younger skaters.
As for Vigneault, it is doubtful that he would have started the season in Columbus. The 22-year-old played in 16 games with the Monsters last season, scoring one goal and adding four assists during his short time there.
Opening Night Roster
Forwards (13): Artemi Panarin, Alex Wennberg, Matt Calvert, Cam Atkinson, Brandon Dubinsky, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Sonny Milano, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Zac Dalpe, Markus Hannikainen, Lukas Sedlak, Nick Foligno, and Josh Anderson
It looks like John Tortorella & Co. look set to continue giving the young players from the Monsters a chance. It will be exciting to see the possible debuts of Dubois and Dalpe, and whether or not Anderson dresses for opening night.
Defense (8): Seth Jones, Scott Harrington, Jack Johnson, Zach Werenski, Ryan Murray, Gabriel Carlsson, David Savard, and Markus Nutivaara
Carrying eight defenseman into opening night is an interesting decision by the Blue Jackets. The top pairing will obviously be Jones and Werenski, the second pairing should be Savard and Johnson, but who will be on the third pairing? The Blue Jackets Puck Drop Preview predicted it would be Carlsson and Nutivaara, but all four have a case for it.
Goalies (2): Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo
Not much needs to be said about the goaltending duo in between the pipes in Columbus. Bobrovsky is coming off his second Vezina Trophy and looks ready to start the season as a top candidate for it again in 2017-18. The Blue Jackets will be hoping that Korpisalo can continue to take steps in his development and continue to be a serviceable back up.
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