Columbus Blue Jackets relying on Justin Danforth's versatility once again
PHILADELPHIA – Pascal Vincent is switching tools on his Swiss Army knife.
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After nine games with Justin Danforth on the Blue Jackets’ top line, the Jackets’ head coach is moving the versatile forward to a key role on the fourth line. Going into a game Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, Danforth will fill center Sean Kuraly’s spot while he’s out with an abdominal injury. That also frees up a spot on the top line for Jack Roslovic to reunite with Johnny Gaudreau, a role he’d excelled at before fracturing an ankle Nov. 12 in a 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Rangers.
Danforth also produced while playing with Gaudreau and rookie center Adam Fantilli, but his versatility gives Vincent a way to make two effective lineup tweaks without much concern they'll backfire.
“He’s like a Swiss Army knife ... he can do anything,” Vincent said. “He can play power play, (penalty kill), top line, fourth line and he’s a low maintenance guy. He competes hard. He understands what he needs to do. He knows who he is.”
Danforth is now the center for a checking line the Jackets depend upon to flip the ice and hound opposing skill lines. He’ll be the top faceoff taker and add another puck hunter to a line that’s expected to include Alexandre Texier and Mathieu Olivier at the wing positions. That’s not a transition many skilled players would enjoy, but Danforth has the right attitude and grit to make it work.
He’s earned a lot of trust just two years after going from college hockey to the ECHL to Finland and Russia before making his NHL debut at age 27 with the Jackets.
“He’s an older player,” Vincent said. “He understands what he’s good at, and that’s what he brings. He’s also very consistent, so when you do that, you create trust – not only with the coaches but with teammates. So, wherever I play him, he makes people around him better.”
The goal now is to give the Jackets’ fourth line a spark without Kuraly, who sustained an abdominal injury Dec. 23 in a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and could miss up to two more weeks. Rather than hearing gripes about it from Danforth, Vincent knows what kind of effort to expect from him Thursday at Wells Fargo Center.
“He’s such a good pro,” Vincent said. “He’s a veteran. "There’s a reason why he has a letter (‘A’) on his jersey right now. He brings leadership in his own way. He’s a little bit like Zach Werenski. He doesn’t speak a whole lot, but when he speaks, it makes sense. It’s intelligent and there’s a reason behind it. He’s not just making noise with his mouth, you know? He’s a good player for us.”
Look no further than Danforth’s nine goals, nine assists and 18 points for evidence.
Through 39 games, he’s on pace to score 19 goals, add 19 assists and finish with 38 points over a full 82-game season. Not bad for a guy who only costs the Jackets $975,000 against the NHL salary cap this season and $1.1 million in 2024-25.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Adam Boqvist nearing return
Adam Boqvist had just reached his top form while playing on the Blue Jackets’ top defense pairing with Werenski when a strained shoulder dealt him yet another injury setback.
Sitting has become a common occurrence for Boqvist since joining the Blue Jackets in July 2021 as a key part of a trade that sent defenseman Seth Jones to the Chicago Blackhawk. The latest issue is a shoulder strain that has kept Boqvist out for 12 games, but he returned to full practice Wednesday and could return to the lineup soon.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets test Justin Danforth's versatility
