Columbus Blue Jackets 2014-15 Season Primer

The Columbus Blue Jackets are the looking to build on 2013-14 playoff appearance this season, and they’ll need to get Ryan Johansen re-signed if they want to have a better shot at that.

Use the below Tabs to view Blue Jackets info for this upcoming season, as well as some numbers from last year.

2013-14 record: 43-32-7, 93 points
Where they finished: 4^th in the Metropolitan; tied for 7^th in the East; tied for 14^th in the NHL; lost 4-2 in the first round of playoffs to Pittsburgh.

Player Salaries: $58,009,167 (22)
Cap Payroll: $54,875,476
Bonuses: $2,715,833
Buyout: $1,141,666
Cap Space: $14,124,524
Forwards: $28,782,500 (13)
Defensemen: $18,226,310 (7)
Goalies: $6,275,000 (2)
Source: CapGeek.com

In: Brian Gibbons W/C, Jerry D’Amigo LW, Scott Hartnell LW, Simon Hjalmarsson RW

Out: Blake Comeau LW/RW, Carter Camper C, Cody Bass RW, Derek MacKenzie C/LW, Jack Skille RW/LW, Jeremy Smith G, Matt Frattin RW/LW, Mike McKenna G, Nick Schultz D, Nikita Nikitin D, Patrick McNeill D, R.J. Umberger LW/RW

2014-15 Team Outlook:

After years upon years of the Blue Jackets struggling to compete in any capacity, 2013-14 was a different story. With a new foundation of players, many of whom were acquired in trades, the Jackets finally had a successful season.

Although the year ended in six games during the opening round of the playoffs, Columbus showed the rest of the league that they are ready to step out from behind the shadows and make their mark in the league.

Led by a solid mixture of youth and veteran players approaching their prime, the Jackets should be able to make some noise over the next couple of years.

Not a whole lot changed this offseason, with the exception of a few minor free agency signings and acquiring former all-star winger Scott Hartnell from a division rival, the Philadelphia Flyers, in exchange for R.J. Umberger.

Offensively, Columbus boasts a very versatile line-up. On the top-line you will likely find the likes of Hartnell and Nathan Horton on the wing and last year’s stand-out Ryan Johansen in the middle. At this point, Johansen remains unsigned with the two sides apparently far apart in negotiations. At the age of 22, Johansen was the NHL’s youngest 30 goal scorer last season. Johansen has been trying to turn that production into a long-term contract, while Columbus wants to sign him to a short bridge type deal. On the second-line will likely be Matt Calvert and Cam Atkinson on the wings with Brandon Dubinsky (who signed a six-year, $35.1 million extension this offseason) flanking the centre spot. The third-line will find Artem Anisimov at the pivot alongside Nick Foligno and Boone Jenner, with the fourth-line consisting of Mark Letestu at centre and some combination of Jared Boll, Corey Tropp, Dana Tyrell, Simon Hjalmarsson or Brian Gibbons on the wings. Other forwards who will be looking to crack the line-up are prospects Jerry D’Amigo, Kirby Rychel, Marko Dano, Alexander Wennberg, Sean Collins and Michael Chaput.

On defense the Blue Jackets will be led by a sturdy top-four consisting of Jack Johnson, Fedor Tyutin, Ryan Murray, and James Wisniewski. The bottom two defensemen are likely to be Dalton Prout and David Savard, although youngster Tim Erixon (who was a key-piece in the Rick Nash trade) will try his best to finally stick at the NHL level after posting 38 points in 40 games for the Springfield Falcons of the AHL last season. Another defenseman with visions of making the team is prospects Cody Goloubef, who has 17 games of NHL experience under his belt over the last three seasons.

The tandem of former Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky and Curtis McElhinney returns to the crease next season. Bobrovsky, who has flourished into a true number one goalie over the last two seasons since coming over from the Flyers, will look to continue his dominance in net with no real threat from anyone to steal his minutes as McElhinney has been a backup his entire career. Oscar Dansk is a name that everyone should become familiar with, although he is still a couple years away from challenging Bobrovsky for playing time as he has yet to make the jump to pro hockey. With Bobrovsky manning the net for now and Dansk lined up to eventually take over someday in the future, Columbus appears to be set for a long time.

Heading into 2014-14 with virtually the same team that they put out last year, the Columbus Blue Jackets are hoping the group can build off of last season’s success and take another step forward. The Blue Jackets have that mix of youth and veteran leadership that every team craves, and look like they should be able to compete for several years to come. Re-signing Johansen is a must, as he is the offensive leader on this team. With him back in the picture, along with Hartnell and a healthy Horton, Columbus could make the playoffs as a middle seed in the East, with a second round appearance not being out of the question.

Written by Greg Stamper, who can be found on twitter @g_stamp91.

The depth chart listed below was taken from NHL.com’s 30-in-30. 

FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell – Ryan Johansen – Nathan Horton
Matt Calvert – Brandon Dubinsky – Cam Atkinson
Nick Foligno – Artem Anisimov – Boone Jenner
Simon Hjalmarsson – Mark Letestu – Corey Tropp
Jared Boll – Dana Tyrell

DEFENSEMEN
Ryan Murray – James Wisniewski
Jack Johnson – Fedor Tyutin
Tim Erixon – David Savard
Dalton Prout

GOALTENDERS
Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

A look at the Columbus Blue Jackets top prospects heading into this season. Each source may use different classifications as to if a player is deemed a prospect or has graduated on from a prospect.

* Dobber Prospects – Prospects based on relevance in a fantasy-hockey keeper league, not actual talent on the ice.

Columbus Blue Jackets Draft History from the past five years

Performance and Usage Charts for the Columbus Blue Jackets from last season, from Extra Skater.

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