ESPN’s John Buccigross discusses the state of the Blue Jackets – hockey writers –
For nearly 30 years, John Buccigross has been a staple at ESPN. While he spends most of his time at the Sportscenter anchor desk, fans around the world know him for his extensive hockey coverage over the years.
In recent years as the NHL has returned to ESPN, Buccigross has been one of their top play-by-play voices. You will hear him in games on the ESPN networks during regular time and the first rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This past four, Buccigross and Commentator Aj Mleczko of ESPN+ predicted a game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was a rematch from three days before the oiled insulted the blue jackets due to overtime due to the late control goal when SharnandEd.
The rematch was just fun. The Blue Jackets held off the Oilers in a late push to win 5-4 in Regulation. With buccigross, being able to call a game in Columbus is special.
Buccigross hails from Steubenville, oh which is about 40 miles outside of Pittsburgh, PA. With his Ohio roots, it’s easy to see why he has a soft spot for blue jackets.
Buccigross can be seen on social media posting a lot of blue jackets. It makes no secret that you believe in the direction you are going. He was kind enough to spend a few minutes Thursday morning with hockey writers to talk about the state of the blue jackets from the national team.
The first question we asked him. Are blue jackets on their way up to you?
Buccigross shows up in blue jackets
“Definitely, I thought they were on the bubble for me this year,” Buccigross said. “Where is it from a team of 87 points to 94. Did Adam Photilli get to 35-40 goals? Will Marchinko continue his goal as a legitimate right?
“It seems that there is no real line formation at the moment. I know that Fantlilli was just moved. Now he has already produced question marks now. I think there are question marks now. I am a little worried that the meeting has not happened so far. And will it be something that will be fought for the whole year?”
The lines had to be adjusted since Jenner’s injury. He was placed in the injured areas with blue jackets. The expectation according to the source is that it is a week-to-week injury. At this time, surgery is not necessary.
But without the captain, the blue jackets have to find more players to step up. Who will be able to do that? Here is buccigross.
“He likes to have that person. Like one person in Boston, now it’s a staple of PASTRAK. He’s really taken with that. But now I think I want to anoint McAvoy. But now I think he might want to anoint McAvoy. But now I think, right?”
“It was mAsand before he was traded. And Bergeron was there. So Prestrak can sit just behind Prestrňak. I think it should be 60 jobs. That’s how bastrak.”
“Todlilli is 21 years old. But it is possible that he is the one who is anointed to be a leader. All the teams that enter Carvat become Landeskog. Marchenko, is that his better personality. And the youngest Fantlilli? “
The werenski effect
That’s where a player like Zach Werenski will have to step up as he took time out last time the team lost Jenner in training camp. Buccigross had other glowing speeches to keep Werenski in the blue jackets.
“Werenski is the best player on the team,” Buccigross said. “And he’s really invested in a leadership role in the team. It really starts with him at the end of it for sure. And he’s the best player, he’ll have a chance to be Rick Nash in blue, especially if he stays here for another seven years.”
Quick hitters
Buccigross is also known for its love of college hockey. When most people think of him today outside of his NHL influence, Cawlidge Hockey is where it is.
The last question we asked him was to give his thoughts on four players in the organization at different levels. Two were from the NHL and two were from college hockey.
Here’s what Buccigross had to say about Denton Mateychuk, Dmitri Voronkov, Cayden Lindstrom and Jackson Smith.
Mateychuk: “I love mateychuk. He is one of my favorite players because he is very smart
Voronkov: “Voronkov’s big body is just a classic NHL guy who wins especially in the playoffs. With that guy where everything gets a bunch of 35 – He’s going to be one of the three years if he keeps playing like this.”
Lindstrom: “I love Lindstrom. I did one of his games with Bu, Michigan State. Watching him get those hockey things. His.”
– Decision: “I’m looking forward to seeing Jackson. They say he’s an incredible skater. Could he be Jay Bouwmester who just shut down a big defenseman, and I was like, ‘that’s a good comparison because you don’t need to score a lot, but you can be so successful as a big defenseman. “
Final thoughts of ‘Buccigrass
While buccigross likes the general direction of the blue jackets, there are still important questions the team must answer. How long do you think it will take to become an annual gaming competition?
“I think the future is really good, and I know they want to be this year. But it could be two more, it should be now Captale then, the best in the league.
Now they are leaving. Then you bring in these young people as people in the secondary as opposed to asking some of these people like Johnson and Fantlilli who will be now. So, I’m about to end, I’m just saying it’s a mishmash that needs to be put together quickly here because it’s going to run out of time pretty quickly (this season.)”
