Line Combos: CBJ Roster Discussion/Line Combos/Injury Report

[VT]

With how the team is currently playing, it's exciting to know that we'll soon essentially be gaining another entire 1B line of forwards, plus a solid 4th liner. I know people are wary to mess with chemistry, but getting Boone, Chinny, Monahan, and Danforth back can only be a positive IMO. I'd construct it like this:

Voronkov-Monahan-Marchenko
No notes, this one is obvious.

Jenner-Fantilli-Chinakov
I keep going back and forth between pairing Jenner with Sillinger, and Jenner with Fantilli, but honestly, I don't think you could go wrong with either pairing. Both Silly and Fantilli need help in the D-zone and Boone would provide that. Went with this grouping because I want to set up Fantilli for as much offensive success as possible as well.

JvR-Sillinger-Johnson
JvR and Johnson can work well together, LDBB likely gets sent back down to play top minutes when these guys come back. Which I think is fine. JvR is the weak spot in the top 9, would be cool to get an upgrade there then we'd have two pretty damn solid middle 6 lines.

ZAR-Danforth/Kuraly-Olivier
Kuraly has really been fighting it recently. To the point where I think put Danforth in his spot for the time being if we're actually going to try to compete.

Kuraly/Labanc as extras. Pyyhtia has been playing pretty well but I would like him to play top minutes in Cleveland and maybe he can be a more integral bottom 6 piece next year.

Johnson is a TOP talent, he wouldn't use his potential with this players. Also Chinakhov has excellent chemistry with Sillinger, they complement each other very well. And JvR... I really don't know where him. He is too slow.

 

[NotCommitted]

For a guy on a league minimum two-way deal, you take good play even if the guy only plays 40 or 50 games a year. It's still a big benefit to the team.

I'm guessing part of it is Blanks is getting better at defense? Maybe Wads didn't think he would get better.

He was always better than Boqvist. I saw that comparison, since both guys were injured a lot and let go by Wads, but Blanks was always a better player for us. Boqvist was obviously a guy to let go, who Jarmo gave an absurd contract. While letting Blanks go should have at least been debatable.

Based on play on ice + contract, letting Blanks go made no sense and I don't even remember him particularly struggling on defense, though the bar on that has been pretty low.

Boqvist I liked a bit more than maybe is entirely rational, it's not like he was all that special even when healthy, but I think I can see what Jarmo saw in him. He could've become a classic smart "eurostyle" defender who is sneakily good in most parts of the game. I honestly thought he'd take off in Florida, and to start the season they were even gonna put him on PP1 but he took a puck to the face after less than 5min TOI and it's been all downhill from there. I think he's been mostly healthy scratched lately.

 

[DankoCBJ]

Have we seen Mateychuk-Severson pair play together yet? I dont think they have played together. Because Denton seems quite solid defensively that pair might actually work?

 

[CBJWerenski8]

The Blue Jackets expect to learn later this week if Jenner, who has missed the entire season following shoulder surgery in early October, has been medically cleared to start working toward his return to the lineup. That’s good news considering Jenner was feared lost for the season when he was hurt one week before the season opener in a practice mishap.

If all goes well, Jenner could be back in the Blue Jackets’ lineup by late February, just after the 4 Nations Face-off (Feb. 12-20) and before Columbus hosts the Detroit Red Wings on March 1 in the NHL Stadium Series outdoor game in Ohio Stadium.

Not long after Jenner was injured, rugged, stay-at-home defenseman Erik Gudbranson suffered a similar injury during an awkward collision during a game Oct. 15 — just three games into the regular season. He, too, was feared lost for the season after having surgery Oct. 22.

Gudbranson’s return window isn’t as clear as Jenner’s, but he is expected to return before the end of the regular season in mid-April.

“You can’t replace your captain, right?” Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger said. “And Buddy’s right next to him when it comes to the leadership aspects. That’s two big hits right away from the start of the season, but it’s been an opportunity for other guys to step up.

“When they do come back, it’s going to be certainly uplifting. I know how hard they’re working to try to make that happen as soon as possible. When that day comes, it’s going to be big. And the timing is key, too.”General manager Don Waddell, speaking with The Athletic after finishing the Blue Jackets’ pro and amateur scouting meetings last week in Nationwide Arena, said he views the anticipated return of Jenner and Gudbranson as “kind of like trade deadline acquisitions.”

Sean Monahan​

The Blue Jackets have won three straight games since Monahan went out with a sprained right wrist during a win in Pittsburgh on Jan. 7, but they miss the 30-year-old veteran, who joined Columbus after signing a five-year contract last summer.

A fracture was ruled out immediately, but the Blue Jackets had to wait for the swelling to subside before doctors could get a sense of the soft-tissue damage following a hit by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.

The ligaments in Monahan’s wrist aren’t torn, Waddell said, but they are stretched.

Monahan is likely out until late January at the earliest. After two more weeks in a brace, Monahan will be re-evaluated to measure the healing process. That will give the Blue Jackets a better timeline for recovery.

Good news: The injury was not to Monahan’s left wrist, which was surgically repaired after the 2016-17 season with Calgary.

Until he returns, the Blue Jackets will likely rely on 20-year-old center Adam Fantilli to play in Monahan’s spot on the No. 1 line between wingers Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko.

Yegor Chinakhov​

All we know about Chinakhov’s upper-body injury is that it’s not a concussion. He’ll miss his 24th straight game Thursday when the Blue Jackets host San Jose in Nationwide Arena.

Chinakhov has skated at least a couple of times over the last month or so but hasn’t been seen on the ice in recent days.

Unfortunately, Chinakhov missing extended stretches of the season has become the norm in his young career. He missed nine games toward the end of his rookie season in 2021-22, missed 29 games in 2022-23 and missed the final 16 games of last season with a lower back injury.

He’s missed 77 games with injury already in his career.

Justin Danforth​

Danforth took part in an optional skate with the Blue Jackets on Wednesday and said he’s close to being cleared to play. How close? He’s planning to travel with the Blue Jackets on Friday when they depart for a four-game road trip, with plans to play at some point on the trip.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Are we hoping for this guy

to return from injury, or this guy?

“You can’t replace your captain, right?” Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger said. “And Buddy’s right next to him when it comes to the leadership aspects.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Can't read The Athletic. What are the other three injured player updates, please and thank you.

 

[Doggy]

I think the interesting part of this article is that AP makes it clear Chinny does not have a concussion. I feel like that narrative has been pushed in here quite a bit (and as more than just speculation). This board should be above this.

 

[Monk]

Can't read The Athletic. What are the other three injured player updates, please and thank you.

It's the 2nd excerpt in CBJW's post. 12ft also works

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Can't read The Athletic. What are the other three injured player updates, please and thank you.

Added to the post. It’s a Chinakhov update, so hopefully that buys at least two days before the next request

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

It's the 2nd excerpt in CBJW's post. 12ft also works

Ha! He must have added that in an edit. Which sounds like an excuse for me just missing it, but whatever.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Ha! He must have added that in an edit. Which sounds like an excuse for me just missing it, but whatever.

I did edit it, don’t worry. You’re not that old yet.

 

[cslebn]

I’d take jones back if the hawks give us something really nice to take him.

Or take Severson

 

[cslebn]

Thoughts on Vejmelka and would there be interest from the CBJ? Based on what other goalies this season have moved for I don't think the price should be that high.

Utah is likely a seller at the TDL. Tarasov gives them a younger goalie with potential and he's still under club control. I suspect we'd have to add a mid-tier sweetener to get it done (I don't really know what Utah needs).

We get a guy who looks like an improvement to Elvis and gives us a more respectable tandem for this season as we continue to compete for a playoff spot. Elvis is bought out this summer, Vejmelka gets a new deal to stay, and works with Jet as a 1-2 for next season.

Seems like a win-win, Utah gets pieces for their future, we get an upgrade for the second half of this season, and potentially our tandem for next season is set. My only caveat is that I want this deal done soon. This doesn't work for us as a TDL deal for me, I want the net upgrade now.

The CBJ fan in me would love acquiring (signing) Veggie.

The Utah fan in me is torn because I hate how Ingy has been giving up rebounds (where veggie swallows the puck better) but I understand the contact situation.

The Utah fan in me also doesn't want Tarasov back with how Stauber had done in the NHL.

But the CBJ fan in me would want veggie

 

[Seedtype]

Huh, I wonder what's wrong with Chinakov then. When this all started there was speculation he would've join them on the current road trip.

Concussion kinda made sense since human brains can be so weird. /shrug