Season Preview – 28. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been in turmoil since 2020, the last time they made the post season. Last season in particular had one of the strangest debacles in recent memory with the Mike Babock situation. There was reason for hope after a busy offseason and adding Babcock to the coaching staff, and it all came tumbling down into a state of confusion and chaos before the puck even dropped. This year however, Blue Jackets fans will have stability in the form of new General Manager Don Waddell and new head coach Dean Evason. Both veterans of the game that have a clear vision and commitment to bring the franchise to heights fans have never seen before. This season is set to be a building block in the foundations of long-term success.

Season Expectations

With new management and a new coaching staff, expectations should be limited for this season yet hopeful for the near future. There will still be a lot of kinks to work out as far as imposing strategies, determining players fits, and making more moves that reflect the state of the team. While we can suggest that the Blue Jackets will be more competitive this year, it does not advocate them for a playoff spot in a competitive Eastern Conference.

Yet, there are a few bright spots to look forward to with this team. Adam Fantilli’s growth will be one of the most highlighted aspects of the Blue Jackets year. Also, we should see highly-touted defensive prospect David Jiricek find a stable role in the top-four, something he is more than capable of. Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson will also be intriguing to watch as they both look to take major steps forward in their developments to become crucial offensive contributors.

Projected Lines

Evason is known around the league for bringing accountability, stability and a commitment to fostering young talent, which makes him a perfect fit for the Blue Jackets current roster. Knowing the elements Evason will be instilling in the team, its safe to say we can predict there to be a mix of veterans and young players, as long as the chemistry is there. There are also a few fresh faces not mentioned in the projected lines, like James Malatesta, Gavin Brindley and Denton Mateychuk, who all have a possibility of earning a spot before camp ends.

To clarify, these line projections are meant to only predict the start of the season. With so many potential combinations possible, its almost certain that there are tweaks and additions of new faces by the end of the year. Expect the season to start as such:

Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Kirill Marchenko
Boone Jenner – Adam Fantilli – Kent Johnson
Dmitri Voronkov – Cole Sillinger – Yegor Chinakhov
Mathieu Olivier – Sean Kuraly – Justin Danforth

Zach Werenski – Damon Severson
Ivan Provorov – David Jiricek
Jordan Harris – Erik Gudbranson

Elvis Merzlikins
Daniil Tarasov

Scratches: Jack Johnson

Line 1
We saw the undeniable chemistry in Calgary between Gaudreau and Monahan, and one can speculate that Monahan chose to sign with the Blue Jackets to reunite with Gaudreau. They will bring an intuition and compete that will rub off onto Marchenko. Marchenko will be relied on heavily to score goals, and if all goes right, he will do so with ease.

Line 2
This line has immense potential to be just as good as the first line when it comes to offense. We will most likely see Jenner taking the face-offs, as he boasted the Blue Jackets best face-off percentage last year. However, it would be wise to climatize Fantilli as a center in the league. Johnson will also provide speed and playmaking ability that will match well with Fantilli’s game. All three can play center at some point, but this seems to be the most efficient positioning.

Line 3
Most third lines in the league prioritize defense in order to maximize the matchups a coach has. Yet, this line will be more offensive, which could jeopardize the Blue Jackets five-on-five play. Voronkov showed us last year that he knows how to use his size and strength to get to the net. Complimented by Sillingers vision and Chinakhovs speed, this line could put up a fair amount of points, just don’t rely heavily on their defensive metrics.

Line 4
The definition of a grinding line. Olivier provides a tough presence that should help with the younger players feeling comfortable taking risks. Kuraly has shown he can anchor a fourth line and add penalty kill minutes. Danforth is a journey man across different leagues who has finally found a way to be effective at the NHL level.

Pair 1
We saw last year that Werenski and Severson can provide a solid pairing after they got comfortable playing with each other. While they aren’t the flashiest first pair in the league, they can help stabilize the risks of the forward lines. Werenski’s offensive mind is a good complimentary piece to Severson’s steadier defensive-first approach.

Pair 2
The biggest question mark surrounding the blue line this year is the future of Provorov. It is easy to speculate him being a valuable piece for the Blue Jackets to move at the trade deadline, considering Mateychuk and Johnson can fill a vacant defensive role. However, pairing him with Jiricek seems like the right move. Jiricek looks to vent his frustrations from last season into positive momentum and prove he has the makings of an elite defenseman.

Pair 3
Harris is an underrated defenseman who could move up and down the pairs as the season progresses. There is a lot to like about his game and in a market like Columbus he is sure to thrive. Gudbranson is an old-school defenseman that will block any puck and throw his body around at the same time. Even though he is losing his foot speed, Harris will contribute to the rush while Gudbranson hangs back confidently.

Goalies
It was just over two seasons ago that Merzlikins was on an upward trajectory as one of the leagues best young goaltenders. He will look to rebuild his game and show he can be a starter in this league, especially after GM Waddell stated this off-season “Let’s be honest, nobody is going to trade for that contract. Nobody.”. Tarasov will look to build off a successful season last year, and fight for the starters role behind a heavily motivated Merzlikins.

Scratches
Johnson is likely in his last year of his NHL career and will be a much needed calming veteran presence in the Blue Jackets locker room. Don’t expect him to see in any increased role unless there is a multitude of injuries.

Keys To Success

The determining factor of a successful season will come in the form of maintaining the direction of the franchise from both newly appointed Waddell and Evason. The new front office, led by Waddell, will have important decisions when it comes to roster management in the form of trades or promoting new faces within the system. The new coaching staff, led by Evason, will have important decisions regarding development around their key future stars like Fantilli, Jiricek, and Kent Johnson. If all goes to plan, this season is set to be a turning point for the Blue Jackets as they continue to chase after that elusive playoff success.

Potential Downfall

One of the biggest risks this year is the stunted growth of both prospects on the roster and within the system. With Waddell now at the helm, there is sure to be a substantial investment in prospect development, as we saw in Carolina. However, there will need to be a fine allocation of resources to develop the right players they see fitting with the team in the coming years. Fantilli, Jiricek and Kent Johnson should be the focal points in the NHL this year, with the possibility of Malatesta, Brindley and Mateychuk all receiving ice time. There also is a heightened risk of injury prone players like Werenski, Jenner and Merzlikins missing time throughout the season. While injuries are never predictable, we have seen in the past how much the Blue Jackets are affected when a player like Werenski is out of the lineup.

Future Outlook

Blue Jackets fans should be ecstatic about the future of their franchise. They already hold elite young talents in the form of Fantilli, Jiricek, Kent Johnson, Malatesta, Brindley, Mateychuk and most recently drafted Cayden Lindstrom. All of these players are likely to become household names in the near future and are projected to all make significant impacts in their own roles. With another projected top-ten draft pick added to their system next draft, it will only solidify a young core that is destined to do great things together.

Final Thoughts

This season will be short of spectacular, but there is a lot to look forward to as the Blue Jackets finally have stability and awareness in both management and coaching. The leadership and accountability of Evason combined with the level headedness and commitment to direction from Waddell, should provide Blue Jacket fans with an abundance of hope. It will also be exciting to see what Fantilli can do in his second season, along with Jiricek, Marchenko, and Kent Johnson looking to take next steps at the elite level. The Blue Jackets have a community that deserves continued success after all these years, and it will be up to all faces within the franchise to help steer them in that direction.