Blue Jackets Bench Their Two Top Players With the Game on the Line

If you thought training camp for the Columbus Blue Jackets was bad with the whole Mike Babcock fiasco, it has gotten worse. Much worse.

Columbus lost it's seventh game in a row last night 3-2 to the Arizona Coyotes. It's also the team's 11th loss in its past 12 games. To make matters worse, both Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau were pasted to the bench in the third period as Columbus tried to tie the game.

Laine has a cap hit of $8.7 million this season, while Gaudreau is at $9.75 million. They are exactly who the team should be relying on in close game, but Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent was clearly trying to send a message.

Asked about Gaudreau, who is the top-paid player on the team, Vincent simply said he didn't like his game and decided not to play him. Rough times in Columbus, and there's no end in sight.

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