Jake Bean was a new inclusion to the squad this year - a fresh, much-needed addition to the CBJ defense. He had previously been with Carolina for a handful of NHL games, primarily playing for their Charlotte Checkers AHL team, earning AHL First All-Star team recognition in 2020 and AHL All-Rookie team recognition in 2019. He’s now spent over half of his NHL games (111) with the Blue Jackets (67) and I was happy to watch him grown and develop with the team this year.
Bean was a consistent presence on the ice; not a splashy player (yet) but was dependable and constant.