It is not that the Columbus Blue Jackets are 9-15-2 and sitting in dead last place in the Metro. The Blue Jackets were never going to be a playoff team this soon in the organizations reset. What was supposed to happen, though, is not. Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen who was touted by the Blue Jackets front office when he was hired as a coach who is good at developing young talent, is not doing that. It is as perplexing as it is hampering young players from grasping their pivotal roles on the team.
For this look at the mishandling of young players, I have selected a trio of young players (there are a few others) to highlight the lack of leadership Brad Larsen is providing. Yegor Chinakov, Cole Sillinger, and Kent Johnson are three players who have shown they are right on the doorstep of being very good, very reliable NHL players but are being held back.
Yegor Chinakov has shown tremendous growth from last season to this. He is making better decisions with the puck, and his defensive game has really been a boon for a Blue Jackets team decimated by injuries to the blue line. Chinakov has found his place on the Blue Jackets third line, and though he has 4-goals on the season, he is getting quality shots. Yet, for the uptick in his play, Chinakov is getting just 13:20 minutes of ice time per game. He has the talent and ability to be a regular on the power play but has seen spot time with the unit.
Cole Sillinger, the young second line center like Chinakov, has upped his game and become a more well-rounded player. At just 2-goals on the season, Sillinger had been working on defensive responsibility for much of the first month and a half. Sillinger has a better idea of those defensive assignments and is starting to shoot the puck more. He has learned to use his body well and is fearless on the check. Yet, the talented young Sillinger is averaging just 12:60 minutes. On the same line as Chinakov, the question is, how is the center getting less time than the winger?
Kent Johnson is on breakouts doorstep. He is electric with and without the puck. His hockey IQ is perhaps the best (or at the very least) up with the best on the Blue Jackets roster. With 6-goals and dazzling play, it is clear that Johnson has the goods to be an All-Star sooner than later. Larsen is doing the young ultra-talented Johnson no favors by moving him up and down the lineup on a game-by-game basis. 13:07 of ice time for a player who, many nights, is the best on ice when he is out there for the Blue Jackets is near criminal.
The point in all of this is to illustrate the fact that young players who are talented, and have taken a big step in development are being hampered by a head coach who refuses to give them more ice time which they have clearly earned. This needs to continue to be monitored as it could begin to hamper player development further.
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