After franchise highs of 50 wins and 108 points, one could have forgiven the management and coaching staff of the Columbus Blue Jackets for resting on their laurels. Surely they would only tweak a few things, right?
Wrong! Instead we see an opening night lineup that has as many as 8 changes from the lineup that remained intact through the 16 game winning streak last season. This roster is younger, faster, and more skilled. As Torts keeps saying, last year’s season only lasted 10 extra days. Some change was necessary to stretch this season longer. Let's look at how each line and pairing has changed, and how that may help:
Artemi Panarin - Alexander Wennberg - Cam Atkinson
I have to keep reminding myself to not get TOO excited about this line.