Markus Nutivaara returned to the Blue Jackets line-up Monday after missing the prior 11 games with an upper-body injury. His return could not have come at a better time.
Originally when Nutivaara was activated John Tortorella indicated he was not going to make any changes to the line-up. Even though you might not agree with it you can see the reasoning for keeping the line-up intact. The team is rolling and you don’t want to mess with that. However when the puck dropped against the Canadiens, Nutivaara was in the line-up. Ryan Murray was banged up and sat out.
Nutivaara was placed into Murray’s spot alongside Jack Johnson. The results from the game were less than ideal, Nutivaara finished as the worst possession player on the team at 28.57% at 5 on 5, Johnson was not much better at 33.33%, per Natural Stat Trick. This one game should not take away from the fact that Nutivaara has been really good this season.
In 52 games Nutivaara has a 53.03% Corsi at 5 on 5, fourth among Jackets regular defencemen behind, Seth Jones, Zach Werenski and the eight games Ian Cole has played. He definitely deserves a regular spot in the line-up. Looking at the Jackets defence pairs since Murray returned (and Nutivaara was out) one pair stands out that could use a change.
Werenski-Jones: 53.35% Corsi, 51.56% high danger chances, 64.71% goals for Johnson-Murray: 44.53% CF, 39.13% HD, 14.29% GF Cole-Savard: 55.56% CF, 62.5% HD, 66.67% GF
The Werenski-Jones pair has been one of the best pairs in the league all season long. Over the last 11 games they haven’t been elite but they have been their usual very good selves. The Cole-Savard pair has been a revelation. They have shored up the third pair and have given the Jackets an incredible shutdown duo. They have driven play despite starting more than half their shifts in the defensive zone. Savard has been revitalized with Cole and is back looking like the defencemen we saw last season. Then we come to the Johnson-Murray pair.
That pair has been a disaster since they were put together. They are not getting results; they have been on the ice for just one goal for and six against. They have earned those poor results; they consistently bleed shots and chances against when they are on the ice. This pair needs to be split up. Enter Nutivaara. In the most recent game Nutivaara-Johnson were not good but on the season they have done well.
In 221:22 minutes at 5 on 5, Nutivaara and Johnson have a 52.09% Corsi, 49.44% high danger chances and a 61.54% goal for percentage, having been on the ice for eight goals for and five against. Nutivaara and Murray have also been really good when paired together. In 231:16, they have a 54.55% Corsi, 59.41% high danger chances, and a 62.5% goals for percentage.
Both options are fine here but with the Jackets in the middle of the playoff race they need to put forth their absolute best team on the ice and that makes the choice obvious. Provided Murray is healthy, he and Nutivaara need to be playing, with Johnson on the bench. Obviously this sucks for Johnson, but he’s the seventh best defencemen on the team right now. This is why virtually everyone was screaming at the trade deadline to trade Johnson. When the team is fully healthy, his spot is gone.
Now health is a big caveat here. With Murray’s injury history, he’s one play away from being out again. There’s also this new thing with Jones. He sat out the third period of Monday’s game for precautionary measures. The team expects him to play Thursday. If that injury lingers or gets re-aggravated the Jackets have the depth should he be required to miss a game.
With Nutivaara back the Jackets have seven defencemen the coaching staff trusts to run out there on any given night. They have the flexibility to sit out a Ryan Murray if he’s banged up. Nutivaara’s return is significant as the Jackets second pair has been a mess and regardless of who comes out Nutivaara makes it better. A Nutivaara-Murray pairing combined with all the trade deadline acquisitions would be the best line-up the Jackets have iced all season. Not a bad time to have your best line-up when you are in the middle of a playoff race.
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