Derick Brassard has been struggling in his new role on the fourth line.
Brassard is supposed to be the Blue Jackets top center, but coach Ken Hitchcock has him in a bottom-six role at this time. Chicago forward Patrick Sharp was in a similar role under Hitchcock in Philadelphia, and said that it made him a better overall player. "The easy thing to do is point the finger at Hitch and say he's tough on young guys," Sharp said. "He was good for me. He taught me how to play the game the right way.Hitch taught me how to compete and battle every night, and those were things I wasn't doing coming out of college." Maybe there is a method to Hitchcock's perceived madness. We shall see, but Brassard has no value at this time as a fourth line player. That being said, we really like him next season as an offensive force alongside Rick Nash. Source: Columbus Dispatch
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