For the first time in franchise history, center is now a position of depth for the Columbus Blue Jackets. General manager Scott Howson acquired the team’s first No. 1 center in Jeff Carter a day before the NHL Entry Draft. Never one to shy away from a shot, Carter has notched 144 goals over the past four seasons, but doesn’t exactly look like a perfect fit beside Rick Nash on paper.
Howson also finds himself in a bit of a dilemma with top prospect Ryan Johansen. The former fourth overall pick won’t turn 19 until July 31, and will be too young to play in the American Hockey League next season. But after a monster sophomore campaign with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, where he racked up 40-52-92 in 63 games, there’s no merit making him play another season in juniors.
Head coach Scott Arniel could well have six natural centers in among his top-12 forwards at the end of training camp: Derick Brassard, Carter, Johansen, Sammy Pahlsson, RJ Umberger and Antoine Vermette. Unless a trade is made, which is unlikely, at least two will have to spend some time at the wing. So who gets bumped out and who remains at the pivot? Let’s examine.
Jeff Carter
Although Carter may score like a winger, and spent much of last season on the wing, he’s a natural centerman and plays a sound two-way game. He won 54.7 percent of his faceoffs last season and is 53.1 percent in the dot in the past two campaigns. There’s also the fact that he’s a right-handed shot with a deadly release of the draw. When you have a player with that sort of skill, teams have to game plan differently for him.
Antione Vermette
After posting career highs in 2009-2010, Vermette regressed in 2010-2011. His speed and vision make him a very valuable at the center position and he’s one of the top players in the draw in the league. Last season he won 55.6 percent of his faceoffs and for a career he’s at 55.2 percent, but his prowess in the circle didn’t stop the Ottawa Senators from playing him on left wing. Vermette isn’t exactly a sterling back checker and has trouble picking up his man on transitions, and at times down low in the zone, making him somewhat of a liability.
RJ Umberger
Umberger is nothing if not versatile. Since coming into the league with Philadelphia, he’s played all three forward positions and been able to excel at each. He’s proficient in the circle, routinely winning over 50 percent of his draws. His staunch work ethic in both ends of the ice makes him an invaluable player and his willingness to play a physical game makes him helpful down low in the zone. But, he hasn’t played center full-time since the Blue Jackets acquired him prior to the 2008-2009 season and once they picked up Vermette at the trade deadline, he was moved back to the wing. He’s played left and right wing for most of the past two seasons, although he’s been available to take defensive zone faceoffs for...
Derick Brassard
This should really be a no-brainer. Brassard has struggled in the faceoff circle his tenure with the Blue Jackets. Last season he took a step forward winning 46.6 percent of his draws, slightly better than his career average of 45.4 percent. He has never demonstrated strong defensive skills and his lack of size -- though not tenacity -- can make him mismatched down low in the zone. He’s a liability taking faceoff draws in the defensive zone and Umberger regularly took his draws when they were matched up on the power play as well. With decreased defensive responsibility, he could focus on upping the ante in his offensive game and becoming a more dynamic force.
Ryan Johansen
Johansen has been tapped as the Blue Jackets No. 1 center of the future, but with Carter under contract for the next decade, he may well require a move to the wing. The WHL does not take faceoff statistics, so numbers are not available, but from watching him in two development camps and smattering of junior and World Junior Championship games, Johansen is more than proficient off the draw. Again, he’s another right-handed shot and has improved his play at both ends of the ice. The kid is a stud in the making, but management is very, very concerned about lobbing too much pressure on him and stymieing his development as has too often been the case with past prospects.
Sammy Pahlsson
Pahlsson is the prototypical checking line center. He’s one of the tops in the league, though his value won’t truly be appreciated unless the Blue Jackets make it into the playoffs. His spot at center is in stone, but on which line exactly is a whole other question.
As Howson has said on numerous occasion, having too many centers is a
good thing. Centers can move to a wing but it’s not a two-way street. Both he and Arniel have voiced interest in fielding three scoring lines -- a direction the league is trending with teams like Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington already at the forefront. The Blue Jackets don’t have the ideal personnel yet, but it may not stop Arniel from at least experimenting with it.
It’s absolutely absurd to start speculating line combinations this early in the summer, so here you go:
F1: Derick Brassard - Jeff Carter - Rick Nash
-- Nash demonstrated in 2009-2010 that he could make an easy transition to playing on the right side. Left wing is the natural transition for Brassard who could use his speed and vision to set up Nash and Carter plenty. Remember: Brassard is the guy who passed the puck on a breakaway.
F2: Kristian Huselius - Antoine Vermette - RJ Umberger
-- Huselius has demonstrated on numerous ocassions that he is all but inept playing on the right side. Vermette is lights out off the draw and he and Umberger have arguably the best chemistry on the team.
F3: Matt Calvert - Ryan Johansen - Maksim Mayorov
-- Mayorov is a player Howson’s projected to make the roster this season. The youngsters playing together could be a joy to watch but there won’t be unecessary pressure to put up gaudy offensive numbers
F4: Jared Boll - Sammy Pahlsson - Derek Dorsett
-- Here’s your checking/energy line. There of course are concerns about Boll, not exactly the smoothest of skaters, matching up against top lines defensively.
Again, things will be much clearer come training camp. And all it takes is one fluke injury, or a bad spell, to throw a wrench in everything. But here’s thinking that Arniel’s salivating over the possibilities.
Having a No. 1 center tends to do that.
Columbus Blue Jackets Blogger • 
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