The Other Captains

By William Espy

 

It has been a while now since the Blue Jackets named their first captain since Rick Nash. Following the announcement that Nick Foligno will don the “C”, a new question has come into the minds of the Jackets faithful. Who will be the alternates? The whole roster provides a sense of leadership and has a claim to be considered for this prestigious role. The names that seemingly come up the most include Scott Hartnell, Jack Johnson, Brandon Dubinsky, and Boone Jenner.

The first player we’ll analyze is Scott Hartnell. He is the newest arrival of the four players who will be discussed in the article and one of the newest on the team in general. While most of the time any type of captaincy is given to long tenured players, “Hartsy” is one of the few players who can be an exception to this. The former Philadelphia Flyers alternate was traded to Columbus nearly a year ago and once he arrived, he instantly provided a strong locker room presence. He not only had a vocal role, he led by example on the ice by putting up his best numbers since the 2011-2012 season.

Jack Johnson has been a constant on the CBJ blue line since 2012 when he was acquired in a trade sending Jeff Carter to Los Angeles. He is often known for his offensive skill as well as his often underwhelming defensive skill. Johnson was the Team USA captain at the 2010 World Championships as a member of the Kings and has been an alternate captain on the Blue Jackets since the 2012-2013 season. He also played a major role in helping the Blue Jackets to their first two playoff wins in franchise history against the Penguins.

Brandon Dubinsky, or as Jody Shelley called him your mom’s favorite player, is known for his strong two way game, hard hitting and his unparalleled hair. Dubinsky was also named an alternate captain on the Blue Jackets in 2012-2013 and prior to last season he signed a six year extension with the Jackets. During the playoff series against the Penguins, he was given the difficult job of shutting down Sidney Crosby, which he appeared to do with ease. Dubinsky missed most of the 2014-2015 season due to injury and the team played significantly better with him and teammate Boone Jenner both in the lineup. “Dubi” and Boone only suited up together in 13 games in the past season, and the Blue Jackets went a phenomenal 11-0-2 in those games. While it would have been impossible to keep up that pace, if they were both healthy all season the Jackets may have been in a much better position at the end of the season.

Boone Jenner, the 37^th overall pick in 2011, is the only player on this list to be drafted by the Blue Jackets and is still on his entry level deal and will get a much deserved pay raise at the end of next season. The 21 year old is one of the youngest players on the team but is one of the biggest leaders at the same time. Many people will argue that he needs more time to develop before he is given a large role, such as an alternate captain, due to his age however he conducts himself as a veteran and to most people would likely appear to be as such. If he is not a top choice for the two alternate roles, he will likely be rotated in if there is an injury.

My Prediction:
Hartnell and Dubinsky.