It's been quite a season for Blue Jackets skeptics.
They've had a field day picking apart the Jackets since celebrating the firing of former coach Brad Larsen the day after last season ended.
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Mike Babcock's hiring as head coach kicked things off in July, setting the stage for the Blue Jackets' executive suite to be roasted after he was forced to resign 78 days later due to alleged privacy violations during summer player meetings.
It's been a snowball of criticism ever since.
Pascal Vincent was promoted to head coach , agreeing to a two-year contract three days before training camp, and he's been skewered for most of his decisions. His usage of rookies, benching of struggling veterans , rebuke of goalie Elvis Merzlikins for attacking Tom Wilson in his own net , lineup decisions and costly blunders in the defensive zone are all things being pinned on Vincent and his staff, and that's without mentioning the latest controversy.
Elvis wants to exit the building via trade after being demoted to third string for a couple weeks , which has sparked a new round of "fire everybody!" calls from the peanut gallery.
It's a great time to be a Blue Jackets critic, which a Blue Jackets critic might say isn't that different than the preceding 23 years of the team's existence. Regardless, almost half a season remains and the coaching staff has noticed improvements in key defensive measures that could help the Blue Jackets climb back to respectability before things conclude in April.
That's one of three main storylines to follow as the Blue Jackets keep plugging away, hosting the New Jersey Devils on Friday at Nationwide Arena.
Merzlikins wants to be traded, the team's front office has apparently agreed to look for a deal and now we all wait to see what happens.
Think that sounds a bit uncomfortable?
Imagine what it feels like for Merzlikins, his teammates, the coaching staff and others around the team. It's awkward, but all parties should be commended for how they've handled it. Moving forward while keeping that positive vibe is a potentially bigger challenge. There's a chance that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen won't find a willing trade partner quickly, even if he agrees to eat a significant portion of Merzlikins' $5.4 million annual salary over the remaining three years of his contract.
Merzlikins could be waiting quite a while to be moved, which could become a source of discontent in the season's second half. For now, after Daniil Tarasov showed a lot of rust during a two-week "evaluation" stint, Merzlikins is back to being the Jackets' top goalie.
How long that lasts could be determined by how things go. Should Merzlikins rattle off a few sterling performances, that could stoke his trade value among teams that desperately need goaltending help. Should he struggle or just tread water, Merzlikins might have to finish the season in Columbus.
Putting backup Spencer Martin on waivers Thursday for the purpose of assigning him to AHL Cleveland was likely a signal of the path the Blue Jackets are taking with Merzlikins.
"Moving forward, Elvis is our player," Vincent said. "He's here right now. He might be here for the next 10 years, I don't know. What has been said, has been said, but for me, he played good (Tuesday against Vancouver), he's going to play the next game (against New Jersey) and we'll go from there."
Jenner was slated to get the wires clamping his jaw shut removed Thursday, clearing him to return while wearing a protective "bubble" on his helmet.
That's welcome news for the Blue Jackets. Their captain handles many roles , on the ice and off, and juggles a lot of responsibility while leading by example. Jenner has also forced a couple of lineup switches with his return.
Emil Bemstrom was bumped out of the active lineup, barring an unexpected illness or injury, but the most controversial switch is moving rookie center Adam Fantilli to the left wing on Jenner's line. Jack Roslovic is at right wing, which gives Vincent three forwards who've all got experience playing center.
The coach feels that's an edge for the Blue Jackets, since all three are comfortable taking faceoffs, but fans began venting about it on social media the second it became public knowledge. They want Fantilli at center 100% of the time, without exception, and they're upset that he's not playing 20 to 22 minutes a game. Vincent is attempting to shelter the highly skilled rookie against situations that could hamper his development.
Playing him alongside Jenner, likely still getting a few faceoffs, is another attempt to accomplish that goal.
Jenner's return also pushed Mathieu Olivier into the 14thforward role in matchups against teams that don't have reputations for being overly physical. The Jackets' four designated centers against New Jersey are Cole Sillinger, Jenner, rookie Dmitri Voronkov and Sean Kuraly.
The Blue Jackets' 14-21-9 record doesn't reflect it, but Vincent and his staff are seeing tangible signs of defensive improvement the past few weeks.
"What is really exciting is our defensive numbers are improving," Vincent said. "We know that we can skate, we know that we can create offense, but we need to defend. To make the playoffs (someday) and have success in the playoffs, we need to be good at defending. It's the NHL, and the numbers (recently) are going really well."
Added practice time is a big reason.
The Jackets started out with the most hectic schedule in the NHL, playing their first 30 games in 60 days . It has now slowed considerably. They've logged 14 games since losing to the Florida Panthers on Dec. 10 in Columbus (39 days) and have a 5-5-4 record in that stretch.
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That's basically .500, which is an indication of what could be next if the Blue Jackets continue improving defensively, which is easier to do with more time between games.
"Part of it is understanding the systems, but a big piece is a slower schedule, having a chance to practice, do some video, meeting with the players and that part of it," Vincent said. "That schedule early in the season didn't give us a chance. We just had to play and keep our heads out of the water. Now, we have a chance to take a deep breath, evaluate and improve on the things that we feel are important."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 3 storylines as Boone Jenner returns for Columbus Blue Jackets
