The bubble defensemen

Because reviewing the preseason performance of the Columbus Blue Jackets bubble-perched forwards was so much fun, and my template was already set up, I figured it was easy to toss together the CBJ bubble blue-liners.

The training camp numbers are nowhere near as large
as on opening day of camp, and the competition is that much
more intense for the last few roster spots.

The same caveat applies to the defense as to the forwards: Statistics should be a significant factor, but not the only factor, in judging the preseason performance of a player. There are a host of other issues that come into play when building a roster beyond the boxscores.  (Never mind that the advanced statistics movement in hockey is widely acknowledged to have taken off with the development of the Corsi rating, something tailor-made to compensate for inadequate boxscore data on defensemen.)  Still, it's foolish to overlook the publicly available stats altogether, as they can tell us stories as well.

With no further ado, here are what I see as Blue Jackets defensemen on the bubble for the opening day roster (note that I've got an update at the bottom of this post, but humor me as I share my completed work in this fluid environment):



Again, the individual player statistics are available by clicking their names at the bottom of the spreadsheet.  Also, the disparity in games played make the per-game statistics useful.  With that out of the way, let's look inside the numbers, shall we?

Game 9/Edmonton: My take

The Columbus Blue Jackets fended off the Edmonton Oilers and a handful of squirrelly referees to take the game, 3-2, in an overtime shootout.

Rick Nash and Nikita Filatov scored on the only two shots needed in the shootout (Steve Mason turned aside the first Edmonton shot, and the second shot pinged off the side-bar.)  Nash coming up big in the shootout is something that CBJ fans are accustomed to, but the Filatov game-winner is special.

Nikita Filatov must be able to feel like he can smile again -
for the first time in a while.  (Flickr photo by OhioFamily)

Just yesterday, DBT and I watched Filatov cleaning up pucks after practice.  It seemed humiliating, watching him schlepping a five-gallon bucket around the ice.  He was not looking chipper.  Surely, it was not the highlight of his time in professional hockey.  So to see him put in a position to win the game, and then win it - you could see the stress melt away for just a moment.  Good for him.  It's a needed confidence boost for a talented young player.  Let's hope he keeps building momentum, both on the ice and in his head.