As the team reporter for the Columbus Blue Jackets, when I’m out and about or chatting with family and friends, the No. 1 question I get this time of year is pretty obvious.
“So, how are the Jackets looking this year?”
Now that the ice is laid in Columbus and temperatures are cooling off – OK, wishful thinking on that last one – this seems like as good a time as any to answer that question in writing.
Plus, the major moves by new president of hockey operations Don Waddell are largely done for the offseason. All it takes is one phone call to change things, of course, but the biggest things on the checklist – hiring a coaching staff, drafting a new crop of players, getting through free agency and making a roster for the coming campaign – have largely been accomplished by Waddell.
So where does that leave the Blue Jackets? Here are 10 thoughts on where things stand as we inch closer to September and the start of training camp.
1. I’ve said consistently the past few years that recent history shows that NHL rebuilds tend to take a little longer than teams always hope – see places like New Jersey, Buffalo and Ottawa for examples. But there are a couple of things that do make me think the Blue Jackets can take a jump in the standings this season. I’ll tackle those in the next few bullet points.
2. First off, the young talent isn’t just here, it has experience. Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov are heading into their fourth years in Columbus; Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson and even David Jiricek are into a third season; and Adam Fantilli and Dmitri Voronkov head into year two in the NHL. Each of those players has shown moments of being good NHL players even while dealing with the usual bouts of inconsistency at times; now is the time when they can start taking those steps forward to be not just regulars but true impact players. There’s a learning curve in this league, and it’s also a difficult step to make to be difference makers night-in, night-out, but those players certainly have the talent to do it. Put it this way – would it surprise anyone if Chinakhov and Marchenko each get to 30 goals? If Sillinger and Johnson keep improving their production? If Fantilli takes what he learned in year one and is a better player in year two?
3. Secondly, I know it was painful a season ago to see the Blue Jackets give away points with blown leads. Columbus lost 25 games in 2023-24 when scoring first, most in the league, and a lot of those came late – the team’s eight losses when leading after two periods were second-most in the NHL. But I’d also argue that’s part of the process of learning how to win. It’s not fun to go through, but there’s no hitting fast-forward; the only way to learn from adversity is to experience adversity. At some point, you figure out how to conquer those challenges, and I do think that before injuries ravaged the roster at the end of the year, the Blue Jackets got better in those situations. They’re important things to go through that should help going forward.
4. Another thing I like is that the Blue Jackets brought in two excellent leaders in free agency this offseason in Sean Monahan and Jack Johnson. I think they’ll be two important players to have in the room with a combined 29 years of NHL experience under their belts. Both have worn letters on their sweaters during their careers as well, and I think the team will only be better for their presence. With so many players who are early in their careers in the room, having veterans to watch on a daily basis can only help; there have been some true pros in the CBJ room the past few years, but I think the team was at the point of its evolution that having a few more will be crucial.
5. I also know some fans were a bit critical of the term given to Monahan given the young centers in the organization, but that’s the cost of doing business in free agency. Having someone who averages 26 goals and 58 points per 82 games should immediately help the offense, and Monahan’s familiarity with Johnny Gaudreau means he might not need a whole lot of time to adjust to his new surroundings. He’s also proven to be a dependable player in terms of availability in his NHL career, and he can be a real-life example to such players as Fantilli and Sillinger over the next few years. Monahan also adds some consistency and flexibility to the CBJ lineup with his presence at the top of the center chart. For right now, he fits a lot of boxes the Jackets wanted to check off in the offseason.
6. It’s been interesting to watch Waddell in his first summer in charge. It was a lengthy to-do list when he arrived, but it’s clear he has a plan. Some of that came in clearing out a few pieces from the roster; by design, the Blue Jackets spent the last few years learning what they had in a lot of players, and Waddell made some decisions on those players this summer. Waddell was one of the most active GMs in the league in Carolina but has said in a few interviews that while he has some familiarity with the players at the NHL level, he wants to see how they operate up-close this season and go from there. My sense is he’ll be making some evaluations this campaign and then really go from there.
7. Time will tell on this one – the average shelf life of an NHL coach is comparable to an Oasis reunion – but count me among those who like the hire of Dean Evason as head coach. First off, after having had two first-time head coaches the past three years, the Blue Jackets needed someone who had been there before. Evason isn’t just a hockey lifer, he’s had success behind the bench as well, placing seventh all-time in points percentage among coaches with at least 250 games. His Minnesota teams were often structured and hard to play against, and identity is something this CBJ team needs to develop. In addition, after spending some time with Evason at his introductory press conference, you can see how players could gravitate toward him – he's in command of the room at all times and has that “it” factor that makes people want to follow him.
8. So what are the key factors that will influence how this season goes? A big part of it will be in how things jell under Evason, especially when it comes to the defensive structure that’s been inconsistent the past couple of seasons. Another will be just how many of those young players I mentioned earlier take the next step; you can hope all of them do, but there’s bound to still be some ups and downs in that development. The Jackets also need consistency in net, which has proven elusive in recent times. An overdue bit of health would go a long way as well.
9. So, is this a team that can make a step forward? I think the answer is yes. Is it a team that will make the postseason? That’s easier said than done. The NHL is a fascinating animal; half the teams make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it’s one of the hardest things to do in sports in my opinion. Not only is the 82-game season a grind, there are more good teams than playoff spots; heck, the team that has Sidney Crosby on it has missed the postseason two years in a row. And going from the basement of the Eastern Conference to a playoff appearance is a tall order.
10. Having said all that, for the reasons outlined above, I do think this is a CBJ team that can at least make some major progress this season. You go through the pain of losing to come out the other side better for it, and at some point the Blue Jackets have to show they’re making steps toward the light at the end of the tunnel. The young talent has learned on the job; the veterans are hungry for more; there are new sheriffs in town; and you’ve learned the hard lessons the past few years. Now, there’s a golden opportunity to start making some tangible strides.
