As the days pass, the likelihood of Ryan Johansen remaining unsigned when training camp, or even the regular season, opens continues to increase.
With that seemingly becoming a distinct possibility, I'd be ignorant not to look at how the team stacks up without him.
While he's undoubtedly the team's best forward, I think the Blue Jackets would be able to survive a holdout in the short-term should he remain unsigned come October.
Here's how their forward lines could shake up without him:
Scott Hartnell - Brandon Dubinsky - Cam Atkinson Boone Jenner - Artem Anisimov - Nathan Horton Nick Foligno - Alexander Wennberg - Matt Calvert Jerry D'Amigo - Mark Letestu - Brian Gibbons
Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I think Wennberg could handle himself at the NHL level should he need to step in right away. I predicted he'd establish himself as a regular by the end of the season, anyways, so Johansen's potential absence may just be a short cut to the inevitable.
If Todd Richards went with that 4th line rather than using an enforcer like Jared Boll, I think they could contribute and help offset some of the offense lost without Johansen.
I think the Blue Jackets need Johansen in the long run if they're going to accomplish anything this season, but if he misses a small portion of the season I believe Columbus will be able to survive without him.
What do you think? Could the Blue Jackets live without Johansen in the short-term? What would your line combinations look like without him? Feel free to share.
Jackets posts
Devils posts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email: NHLToddCordell@Gmail.com