The Columbus Blue Jackets have only played six games this season and currently sit at a 3-3 record. In spite of the many injuries already plaguing the roster, they have played competitively most nights and have exceeded expectations so far. That makes this team perfect for speculation and overreactions to early success. While it’s very possible that all of these hot takes could be wildly off in a couple months, there are a few trends that could be very interesting if they continue. Here are three predictions the Blue Jackets will see this season.
Daniil Tarasov Will Take Over the Net
The goalie position has been a weakness for the Blue Jackets since Sergei Bobrovsky left in 2019. While having some good moments in net, Elvis Merzlikins has had a pretty rough ride in his time in Columbus. While he began as the starter for the season opener, an early minor injury has left him with only two starts through the six games. Unfortunately for him, those starts weren’t particularly impressive either. He has allowed seven goals with a .854 save percentage (SV%) and lost both games he started. This was certainly not the start to the season that the Blue Jackets were hoping to see from the beleaguered netminder.
“We needed a strong start to the game, and I think we did a pretty good job with that.”
Goaltender Daniil Tarasov tells Dave Maetzold that it was an unbelievable effort for the Columbus Blue Jackets to earn a victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/iX29wIIZhN
— FanDuel Sports Network Columbus (@FanDuelSN_CBUS) October 23, 2024
But his poor start has opened the door for Daniil Tarasov. In four starts, he has posted a .888 SV%, allowing 13 goals and getting three wins. On the surface, these stats don’t seem too different. But if you look at the underlying statistics, he is significantly outperforming Merzlikins. Per MoneyPuck, he has a goals saved above expected stat of 0.2. That means he is making almost exactly the amount of saves he should be. Meanwhile, Merzlikins has a minus-3.6 goals saved above expected, which means he has given up almost four more goals than he should have in just two games. Tarasov is objectively doing a better job in net. While Blue Jackets’ general manager Don Waddell openly spoke this summer about needing to get Merzlikins back on track (from ‘Blue Jackets’ Elvis Merzlikins is staying, says Don Waddell: no trade, no buyout’, The Athletic, 6/20/24), it is ultimately up to…
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