COLUMBUS -- With the news of Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner's left hand being broken after being hit by a puck during practice Sunday, another opportunity for a player to make the opening night roster opened.
Jenner, beginning his second year in the NHL, is expected to miss a few weeks of the regular season. With right wing Nathan Horton still not healthy (back) and center Ryan Johansen as yet unsigned, Columbus' top line is out of commission.
This opens the door for three, and possibly four, unexpected players to be wearing Union Blue on October 9 against the Buffalo Sabres. The frontrunner for one of the spots would appear to be center Michael Chaput, as he has had a very good showing during training camp.
As for the others, the following names could probably be tossed into a hat (in no particular order): Alex Wennberg, Simon Hjalmarsson, Kerby Rychel, Marko Dano, Brian Gibbons and Jerry D'Amigo.
With rosters having to be set by October 7, the next week should be a very interesting one.
Dealing with injuries
From looking at the way he plays every day, you couldn't tell that this is a contract year for left wing Matt Calvert. Selected by Columbus in the 2008 draft (round 5, 127 overall), he's entering his fifth year as a Blue Jacket. He took the time to have a chat about injuries during training camp, intensity and the next step for both the team and himself.
FSO: How do players avoid and manage injuries in training camp?
Calvert: "Training camp is always tough. All summer you prepare yourself to be ready for it as much as possible, but you're never going to prepare yourself for the workload on the ice and everything that comes with it. I think the big thing for us is just taking care of our bodies. That's something we really focused on as an organization this year. I think that's something that we've done a really good job with. We've been cautious with guys, too. Maybe taking one or two days off to rest and not make anything worse."
FSO: How much more intense do the practices and games get as camp draws to a close?
Calvert: "I think the big thing is that the games are starting to get more intense and the practices maybe a little less intense. Right from the start, you're going through the paces and trying to get in game shape. Now it's starting to calm down a little and manage the time. I'm sure that once we're down to our main group, we'll hit it harder for that last week. It's a gradual progression and why I think that preseason (games) are good."
FSO: Is the next step for this team being tops in the Metropolitan Division?
Calvert: "For sure. I think we made believers out of ourselves last year and out of other teams in the league. That's always been our goal, to be on top of the division. That's something that we're going to strive for this year. I think we know we can (win the division). If you put yourself at the top of the division, you put yourself in a better position going into the playoffs. We're going to take it game by game and week by week. We'll go from there and see where we stand right from the start of the season. We'll just keep on plugging away like we do."
FSO: What's the next step in your development? Can you bring the intensity you showed in the playoffs to your regular season performance?
Calvert: "Yeah, I think you're learning every step of the way. Being a year older adds that experience of being in different situations. You've learned how to handle success, but also how to handle adversity, too. That's something that I learn each year. For myself, I'm just going to do what I do. Usually, when I'm focusing on playing to my strengths, getting the pucks deep, being an energy guy and going to the net, that's when the goals and assists start coming. That's my goal for this year. I want to bring what I can to this team and do my job."
Players and clubs and contracts, oh my...
There is still no sign of Ryan Johansen signing a contract with the Blue Jackets soon, although both sides are talking and said talks would seem to be civil. With Jenner sidelined for the near future, does Johansen's agent, Kurt Overhardt, see this as potential leverage? He may view it that way, although for a deal to get done, he'll still have to come down from his asking price for the 22-year-old player. With nine days until opening night, #JoeyWatch is in Day 13...
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