When a defenseman makes his NHL debut as a late-blooming 25-year-old, the player is usually not expected to be an elite player, but still serviceable enough to play 5/6 roles for his team.

That is the story of Grant Clitsome. Clitsome was a 9th round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft (The last draft to have more than the seven rounds we are used to today) for the Columbus Blue Jackets. After completing his college career at Clarkson University in 2008, he began his pro career suiting up for the Syracuse Crunch for the following two seasons.

Today, Clitsome is another question mark on the Jets below average defensive group. He looked like a steal of a waiver claim in his early games with the Jets, but injuries and inconsistent defensive play have hindered his abilities.

Which Clitsome will show up for the 2014-15 NHL season?

Clitsome was not rushed into the NHL, playing two full seasons in the AHL after a four-year college career before becoming an NHL regular. He split the 2010-11 NHL season between the NHL and AHL, and scored at above a half a point per game in the big leagues. 

It looked as though the Detroit Red Wing model for development was setting into Clitsome’s game, but he struggled to maintain the offensive prowess and struggled in his own end. Clitsome was eventually put on waivers from the struggling (and NHL worst) Blue Jackets in 2011-12, and was claimed by the Jets.

After arriving in Winnipeg, Clitsome seemed rejuvenated once again and gave the Jets a solid 12 games before going down with an injury. The following year saw Clitsome play a feature role on the blueline as a top-four defenseman.

Last season was a tough one for the defender, and he lost most of the season to injury, leaving the Jets to replace him with Keaton Ellerby. Clitsome is still suffering some affects from his season-ending injury but should be ready to go before the beginning of the season.

He’s a decent possession player, and his 51.7% Corsi backs that up. He won’t be expected to play top-four minutes this season and will need to be fine with a complimentary role.

Clitsome has some decent offensive ability, and has seen some power play time over the course of his career. With Enstrom, Trouba, Postma and Byfuglien likely in the first two power play units on the blueline, Clitsome may find his offensive numbers dwindling.

He’s not expected to grow after suffering a season ending injury and the team may have to be patient with the player. Clitsome could be a buyout option next season if he has lost a step and due to the fact that his $2.3 million salary for the next two seasons is harsh for a guy who could very easily be the 7th man by season’s end.

I think Clitsome will produce decent numbers, but will not grow on his previous years. I’m giving Clitsome 51 games to score four goals and 11 assists.

1.    
How much will Clitsome’s herniated disc affect
him?

The herniated disc is not an easy injury to
recover from, and Clitsome missed the rest of the team’s games after suffering
the injury before Christmas. He’s currently still on the injured reserve, and
there’s been no other news to report. There’s a chance Clitsome isn’t ready to
go before camp.

2.    
Could Clitsome be bought out following the
season? 

$2.3 million is a lot for a player who will
play 5/6 minutes for the next two seasons. The Jets are a low-budget team and
every penny is precious. If Clitsome can’t regain his abilities then it’s not
out of the question that he ends up with two-thirds of his money remaining to
not play for the Jets.

3.    
Can Clitsome find a way back into the top-four?

Tobias Enstrom, Zach Bogosian, Jacob Trouba
and Mark Stuart. Those are the people that Clitsome would have to steal a spot
from. Stuart is better suited for the bottom pairing, so Clitsome does have a
chance. He’ll also be competing with Paul Postma, Josh Morrissey, Brenden
Kichton and Keaton Ellerby though to claim that spot. Clitsome has a lot going
for him if his injury doesn’t affect him.