The Columbus Blue Jackets are set to get a major piece back tonight when they face off against the Arizona Coyotes. Norris Trophy contender and franchise cornerstone defenseman Seth Jones is expected to return to the lineup after missing the first seven games of the season with a knee injury.
Beyond Jones' debut, though, there's still plenty to like about tonight's matchup for Columbus. The Coyotes may have a lot of intriguing young pieces on their roster, but it hasn't come to fruition just yet, as they're off to a 2-5-0 start, good for last in the Pacific Division. Still, while Jones is set to suit up for Columbus, Arizona has a star defenseman of their own in Oliver Ekman-Larsson, whose four points are behind only Clayton Keller five among the team's scoring leaders.
The Coyotes are hoping to salvage what's been a putrid road trip – 0-3-0 so far – with a strong effort tonight before heading home. Columbus, on the other hand, is looking to bounce back after a tough loss against the Chicago Blackhawks – despite dominating for much of the game.
PROJECTED LINES
Panarin – Dubois – Atkinson
Foligno – Wennberg – Duclair
Milano – Jenner – Anderson
Sedlak – Nash – Bjorkstrand
DEFENSEMEN
Werenski – Jones
Murray – Nutivaara
Kukan – Savard
GOALTENDER
Bobrovsky
Storylines
- Jones' return is the biggest storyline by far – but it's worth monitoring both his immediate workload and the overall balance of the ice time between the three pairs, which has been skewed heavily towards the top four so far. With David Savard moving to the third pair, he should offer a stabilizing presence there, and the second pairing of Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara has been solid so far.
- The Blue Jackets have shown stretches of dominance so far, but also been occasionally plagued by lapses on the mental side of the game. Arizona's record isn't great, but there's plenty of speed and skill in that lineup. Will this be the first 'complete game' of the season?
- Speaking of inconsistent, Sergei Bobrovsky has been up-and-down this season, but John Tortorella made sure the media knew that he was planning on sticking with his top netminder. Will he put together a vintage Bobrovsky performance?
