After a promising seven-game NHL debut in 2021-22, Nick Blankenburg signed a two-year, one-way contract worth $825,000 with the Blue Jackets. Not bad for an undrafted free agent who was overlooked his entire career due to his 5-foot-9 height. As he enters his second full NHL season, here are three questions to ask about the 25-year-old defenseman.
Can he stay healthy?
Since entering the NHL, Blankenburg has missed 45 games, including 43 last season, due to injury, according to nhlinjuryviz.blogspot.com. Blankenburg’s best attribute, the fact that he’s not afraid to swing like a 6-foot-4 player, is sometimes his biggest flaw. This has served him well so far, as the paragraph above explains, but if the injuries were due to bad luck, as the ankle injury who kept him out of 27 games, or not, the fact is he missed more NHL games due to injury than he played. If he can stay healthy, that will go a long way toward answering the next question.
Can he solidify a spot in the lineup?
It’s no secret that the Blue Jackets have a surplus of defensemen heading into training camp. While Zach Werenski, Damon Severson, Ivan Provorov and Erik Gudbranson are on the list, Adam Boqvist, David Jiricek, Jake Bean, Stanislav Svozil and Blankenburg will be competing for the final three spots on the list, assuming they have any seven. defenders. Does Blankenburg’s little job give him an advantage heading into camp with a new head coach? He has proven to be an effective player when healthy, but with a new set of eyes this season, he, like every other player on the roster, will have to prove himself worthy of a spot in the list.
If he’s a fixture in the lineup this season, what could his offensive production look like?
In 43 games, Blankenburg has scored five goals and 12 assists, which on an 82-game pace equates to nine goals and 22 assists. If Blankenburg scored anywhere near that rate, all parties would be extremely happy. In 2022-23, 33 defensemen have scored at least 10 goals, so if Blankenburg can produce at his current rate over more games, he will do well when negotiating his next contract.
Like all players, Blankenburg’s health will dictate the success of his season. But if he can stay healthy, he’ll do his best to be a full-time player in this crowded Blue Jackets defensive core.
