Nick Foligno still has fond memories of the 2018-19 Blue Jackets.
And for good reason — because that squad was good. Real good.
In Foligno’s estimation, that roster was one of the best that the Jackets assembled during his nine years with the team.
It was another trademark John Tortorella club, with a number of sturdy forwards and big-bodied blueliners more than happy to step into traffic and eat up pucks before they could make their way to Sergei Bobrovsky.
While cogs like David Savard and Markus Nutivaara locked down the lower depths of CBJ’s D corps, they were paced up top by an effective one-two punch on the blue line in Seth Jones and Zach Werenski.
Forwards like Josh Anderson, Boone Jenner, Foligno and Pierre-Luc Dubois instilled the hard-nosed style of hockey that often leads to success come the postseason, but Columbus GM Jarmo Kekäläinen also did what he could to put the team over the top by injecting game-breaking skill into the roster — acquiring Artemi Panarin in a blockbuster deal in 2017 before bringing in both Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel ahead of the 2019 trade deadline.
Fresh off sweeping the juggernaut Lightning in the first round of the 2019 playoffs in what was one of the most shocking upsets in league history, Columbus had plenty of momentum on its side going into its next bout against the Bruins.
And sure enough, Foligno and Co. sure seemed up to the task — stealing Game 2 at TD Garden thanks to a Duchene 2OT tally before taking a 2-1 series lead just a few days later. But, much to the chagrin of Foligno and the Jackets, a slim deficit in the best-of-seven series only seemed to embolden a veteran-heavy B's club.
"You're giving me nightmares, I got over this," Foligno said of his memories playing against Boston. "They came in waves. ... I remember we got up to a 2-1 series lead against them in that series, and then they just kept coming. You're like, 'we got him on the ropes.' And all of a sudden, the next game, they just come and they come in waves and they just consistently play the right way. And we just didn't have that understanding as a group of how to do that on a nightly basis. And it's almost like they got stronger as they felt that and that's what it was like playing against them."
Sure enough, the Blue Jackets didn't win a game for the remainder of the series — with Boston punching its ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals in six games and ending Columbus' season in its own building at Nationwide Arena.
FINAL:
— Cameron Richardson (@therichreport) May 5, 2019
Blue Jackets 3 - Bruins 4
A wild 3rd period almost went in Columbus’ favor until David Pastrnak scored his 2nd goal off of a beautiful pass from Marchand. #NHLBruins lead series 3-2. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/iG9sGEqI6j
A lot has changed for both franchises since Boston bested the Jackets en route to a run to the Stanley Cup Final. While Columbus is in the midst of a prolonged rebuild, the B’s are still clinging to the hope of at least one more fruitful playoff push with this current core in place. And Foligno, now on the same roster as many of those black-and-gold skaters that vanquished that Jackets team, believes he can fit right in with a club still anchored by lofty postseason expectations.
"I've been in the league a long time. So it's just come in and be who you are. I'm confident in who I am, what I bring, but all the while knowing that there's a leadership group intact here that's done an outstanding job," Foligno said. "So if you can come in and compliment that, myself even learn from that, I'm looking forward to that. And that's a big reason why I wanted to come here, I knew the room kind of ran itself. And, if I can help in a way, I'd love to do that. But mostly, it's just going to be coming in here and playing the game the way I need to play and help this team. And the other stuff just kind of happens naturally as I get to know, guys.
"But I'm really just looking forward to learning from the leadership group here and that was a big reason why I wanted to come play. Patrice convinced me, among other guys. And you can just see that, the way they go about their business here as I walked in this room and watch them work and prepare for the season. ... There's an intensity in which they work, and even as they talk to each other about how the season is going to go. So I'm excited just to complement that and I'm looking forward to it."
"Complement" might be the apt term when it comes to Foligno's role on the 2021-22 Bruins — as the 33-year-old veteran's time as a surefire 20-goal, 50-point regular in the NHL ranks might be a bit behind him entering his 14th full season in the NHL. But shortly after Boston inked the forward to a two-year, $7.6 million contract back in July, Don Sweeney noted that bringing aboard the former Columbus captain is more of a "sum of its parts" addition when it comes to his fit on the roster.
"It might not look on the surface that Nick Foligno was a fit for our group, but I believe he is, and he did as well, which is most important in that sense because he’s got a lot of opportunity," Sweeney said. "He comes in as a leader, he plays three positions, he brings an edge to his game, and he wants to win."
Indeed, Foligno's leadership has been chronicled and lauded during his time in the pros — and his willingness to throw his weight around and stand up for his teammates will be a welcome sight in Boston's bottom-six corps. But aside from those intangibles, what baseline production can he provide, and in what role?
Likely penciled in on a third line next to Erik Haula and Jake DeBrusk, Foligno projects as a pretty effective defender at this stage of his career — ranking in the 87th percentile of NHL forwards in even-strength defense. His PK talents (70th percentile) should also come in handy. But his offensive ceiling is a bit tougher to gauge — as he tallied 10 goals in 67 games during the 2019-20 campaign before burying seven in 49 contests between the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs last year.
Foligno's two-way game should make an a useful cog on that third line, but if Boston is looking for a revitalized bottom-six unit (namely in the offensive zone), it's likely going to need other conduits like Haula and DeBrusk to drive play and bury chances, with Foligno serving as more of a physical forechecker that can force turnovers and open up Grade-A ice for the rest of his teammates.
Of course, Foligno's eventual landing spot on Boston's roster could be pretty fluid, as he could shift over to center if needed — perhaps even into a 2C spot if Charlie Coyle or Jack Studnicka struggle to secure that top-six gig. But even if he eventually becomes entrenched in that 3RW role, Foligno believes his skillset should translate well to what Boston has sorely missed further down the lineup.
Could Foligno be the missing ingredient that Boston is sorely missing on a roster in the midst of an overhaul? It could be the case. Or could he be a short-term redux of David Backes — a beloved veteran presence and top-flight individual that unfortunately couldn't cut it as far as production goes? The risk is certainly there.
But for Foligno, after only appearing in 55 total postseason games in his career — and only twice advancing out of the first round — the motivation is there to quickly dispel some of the concerns about his waning game. And what better team to attempt such a venture than the one that once brought him so much misery just a few years ago.
"I'm actually excited about that," Foligno said of his role with this B's team. "I think it's a clean slate, in a lot of ways. Listen, I know what I bring, and what I can help with this team. But at the end of the day, it's where I'm fitting. And I've learned that as I've gone on here — if we're going to try and be as good a team as we expect to be, then everyone's got to slot in, find their role and the teams that find it early enough usually have that success sustained all year long. So I'm another cog in the wheel of trying to find that and I'm excited about finding my place on this team where I'm going to fit best.
"And I'm looking forward to just getting around this group. I can already tell, among the guys I've met that they're excited to have me here. I'm excited to be here. And I think when you have that, it just naturally brings it into the season and looking forward to getting going. And I think too, once we start battling together in training camp, going through the grind of training camp, exhibition games, it just brings together that relationship that much better. And that's something I'm looking forward to doing with these guys as we grow and get to know each other and then get to battle with them and for them — instead of against them."