Over the past two seasons, perhaps no player on the Blue Jackets has had more ups and downs than Jack Roslovic. In one game, he'll score four points against the Edmonton Oilers (Feb. 25, 2023), and then he'll go three games without appearing on the scoresheet. In 2021-22, Roslovic posted just 8-12--20 in the first 46 games of the season, but then picked up his game and recorded 14-11--25 in the final 35 games of the campaign in a stretch where he was one of the team's best players.
#CBJ Roslovic (11) goal pic.twitter.com/HTrdZ4VTyX
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) April 4, 2023
That summer, he signed a two-year, $4M AAV deal that will take him to unrestricted free agency in 2024, and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said they expected him to take "bigger strides" after signing the contract. It's safe to say that Roslovic hasn't.
Kekalainen said they are betting on Roslovic's "great potential" with this contract. He said that Roslovic and management want Roslovic to prove he is a top-line center. They expect Roslovic to take "even bigger strides" after signing this extension. #CBJ
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) June 7, 2022
In the first 36 games of the 2022-23 season, Roslovic scored just 3-16--19, including a stretch where he started the season scoring 1-5--6 in 14 contests, leading him to be a healthy scratch.
If the lines in todays practice were any indication, Jack Roslovic will be a healthy scratch Tuesday. Him and I had a real, Id say, candid talk this morning, Brad Larsen said. I need more.#CBJ
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) November 14, 2022
However, he improved his scoring rate in the final 41 games of this past season, posting 7-18--25, including a stretch of 34 games where he scored 6-17--23.
#CBJ Roslovic (2) goal pic.twitter.com/43mdqGq8wp
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) December 12, 2022
There's no doubting Roslovic's ability. On any given night, he can be one of, if not, the best players on the ice. However, there are nights when he's a complete liability on both ends.
With the crowded group of forwards currently on the Blue Jackets, in addition to more in the pipeline, there's no guarantee Roslovic will receive a new contract for next season, even if he plays well. But, if he does, he'll at least give the Blue Jackets a tough decision to make.
This is a make-or-break year for the hometown product. Can he improve his consistency?
