Crashing the Net: 'Wild Bill' Karlsson to make Blue Jackets debut
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Blue Jackets play the first of their final 10 games of the season tonight against the visiting Anaheim Ducks. It will mark the return of defenseman James Wisniewski to Nationwide Arena and also sees the debut of former Ducks center William "Wild Bill" Karlsson against his former team.
Karlsson was recalled from the Springfield Falcons yesterday and arrived in Columbus this morning. Consequently, head coach Todd Richards saw him on the ice for the 20 minutes of the game day morning skate. He'll make his Blue Jackets debut centering Scott Hartnell and Marko Dano.
"I talked with him briefly this morning," said Richards. "I'll have more conversations this afternoon leading up to the game. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do."
Karlsson has two goals and one assist in 18 games with Anaheim this season, making the Ducks squad out of training camp. He'll wear the number 20, as did defenseman Tim Erixon and forward Kristian Huselius before him. On the opposite side of the ice, Wisniewski has donned the same number for the Ducks.
"He should be a motivated guy," said Richards of Karlsson playing Tuesday night. "It's his first appearance in a new organization at the NHL level. It's a chance for everyone to see what he can do in a game against his former team."
Karlsson has one year remaining on his entry-level contract and is looking to not only make a good impression tonight against his former team, but also next season as well. He likes the fact that he's on a young team that is on the rise. His cap number is friendly, too, coming in at $925,000.
"They've got something good going on here," Karlsson said of the Blue Jackets, "and hopefully I can be a part of it. I'll get my opportunity to earn a spot here. I'm going to do everything I can to earn one of those spots and be a regular."
The Anaheim Ducks may have tagged Karlsson with the "Wild Bill" moniker, but the guys in the Blue Jackets dressing room after morning skate were all calling him by that name as he did his first interviews with the throng of media surrounding him.
"I saw it on the ticker when we traded for him," said left wing Nick Foligno. "It said 'Wild Bill' on our Blue Jackets website and the guys got a kick out of it. I think it's a great nickname, so hopefully it sticks. We're having a lot of fun with him and he seems like a great kid. I only got to know him this morning, but he seems to have a really good head on his shoulders."
Bourque out
Todd Richards confirmed that right wing Rene Bourque will not play against Anaheim and is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Richards likes what he's seen from Bourque in the eight games he's played for the Blue Jackets since being traded from the Anaheim Ducks on March 2.
"He's fit in nicely," Richards said of Bourque. "What I've liked from what I've seen of him, and it's been brief, is he's a big guy that skate and a big guy that is willing to go to the net. We all know about his shot, because he's proven at this level that he can score."
"To me, it's the little things that he's done for our team to help us have some success. I've talked with him and I think he understands the position that he's in. This is another opportunity and you don't know how many opportunities are around the corner."
Boone and Morin
The Blue Jackets welcomed back to the lineup center Boone Jenner and left wing Jeremy Morin last Saturday against the Calgary Flames. Jenner played 16:30 and was credited with one shot on goal and three hits. Morin was on the ice for 11:15 and had one shot and three hits, also.
"For me, it's still seeing more," Richards said Jenner's first game back from a stress fracture in his back. "He had the energy; it was what we expected from him. Jeremy Morin did a good job, too. Now it's a chance to see them at home. A lot of times, it's that adrenaline level early for the push and the excitement to play."
"There might be a bit of a drop-off, but one thing you can count on with Boone is his work ethic. I've got him playing with Joe (Ryan Johansen) tonight. It's a familiar spot. Hopefully he can find some chemistry with Joe and Cam (Atkinson). He can drive the energy up on that line with how he works, how he battles and how he competes."
Blue Jackets (projected) lineup
Forwards: Atkinson / Johansen / Jenner
Dano / Karlsson / Hartnell
Morin / Anisimov / Foligno
Tropp / Letestu / Boll
Defense: Johnson / Savard
Tyutin / Prout
Connauton / Goloubef
Goal: Bobrovsky with McElhinney as backup
Scratches: Dubinsky, Bourque, Wennberg, Murray, Falk, Clarkson
