Columbus Blue Jackets - Preseason Report
It was a bit disappointing to see Daniel Brickley, Michael Amadio, Devon Toews, Denis Gurianov, Emil Pettersson, Matt Luff, and Matt Read all end up getting cut at camp. But on the other hand, almost all of them were among the last cuts, and had strong preseasons. We expect most of them will still get opportunities to play this season.
But the big surprise so far has been Rourke Chartier, who looks to have secured the 4th line center spot in San Jose. There were times last season when it looked like Chartier's career was in jeopardy, as he struggled with concussion issues. But he looks to have fully recovered, and not lost a step in his development. David Rittich winning the back-up role in Calgary again was not as much of a surprise, but was still a definite positive.
It is also reassuring to get through the preseason healthy. Brian Dumoulin may not be ready to start the season, but other than that, everyone is ready to go. Bring on the regular season!