Jackets get closer to the final roster

Portzline discusses the decisions to be made yet:

There are 18 forwards in camp. Right winger Raffi Torres (separated shoulder) will start the season on injured reserve, so the Blue Jackets will need to cut at least four players.

Those on the bubble for the last spot are Nikita Filatov, Derek Dorsett, Derek MacKenzie, Alexandre Picard and Craig MacDonald.

Now to the defense, which appears to have one difficult decision left.

Assuming Ole-Kristian Tollefsen is on the roster — it would be a shock if he weren’t — the Blue Jackets must decide between Aaron Rome and Marc Methot for the final spot. Both would need to clear waivers.

I’m assuming that even if Filatov is on the roster out of camp, his stay will be short in the NHL before heading off to Syracuse or Sudbury to get better acclimated to the North American game. Of the others, I’ve liked what I’ve seen out of Dorsett — he’s got grit and toughness, which would serve him well on fourth line duty, and he seems to have some skill as well, so maybe the potential is there to develop into a Tyler Wright type player who can agitate and fight when necessary, but isn’t a weak link on the ice. I’d also like to see Picard make it — he’s just one of those prospects I’ve been pulling for in the face of all the injuries and accusations of being a bust.

On the defense, it’s no secret I’ve been a Marc Methot fan for some time now. I’m a sucker for steady, reliable stay-at-home defensemen. I would like to see Methot claim a permanent spot in Columbus, and would especially hate to see him lost on waivers. But Rome may have a little more offensive upside, which the Jackets are sorely lacking on the blue line, so he may win out on that basis. I do also wonder if a trade is in the works to clear out some of this logjam in the #6-9 defenseman category.