By William Espy
Let’s start with the overlooked acquisition of this
offseason, Gregory Campbell. Gregory Campbell has been a fourth line center on
an often stacked center core in Boston. Playing behind players like Patrice
Bergeron and David Krejci would put increased pressure on any player, mix that
with the atmosphere of any sport in Boston and many players would have struggled
immensely. Gregory Campbell on the other hand, played through it. While the
intensity of the Bruins fan base is not quite equal to that of the Toronto
Maple Leafs, it is a very critical fan base.
“Soupy” will take the same role he held in Boston when the
Blue Jackets season begins, however a question does always remain for a fourth
liner. What about training camp? The Blue Jackets have a prospect core rivaled
only by the Winnipeg Jets and Arizona Coyotes which could cause trouble for a
fourth line player. Players like Michael Chaput and William Karlsson are going
to be pushing to make an impact in training camp to get back up to the NHL
level which means Campbell could have an issue.
Brandon Saad was the biggest acquisition the Blue Jackets
made this offseason, however it is a bit of a risk. Marko Dano was on the verge
of a breakout season, now he will have that season in Chicago. But for the
first time in his career, Saad will have offensively minded teammates all season.
As a Blackhawk Saad spent his fair share of time with Patrick Kane, however a
majority of his time was spent with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. While
Toews and Hossa are both superstars with above average offensive numbers, they
are both known for their two-way play rather than their offensive ability. I would not be surprised if Saad has some defensive breakdowns
this upcoming season as he will be adjusting to less defensive linemates.
Overall the Blue Jackets made some very good moves to improve an already impressive core of players while sending a message to the rest of the NHL at the same time.
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