The Columbus Blue Jackets are coming off their best season in franchise history. They finished with over 100 points for the first time as a franchise, and made the playoffs for the third time in franchise history.
They also won 16 consecutive games which tied for the second-longest winning streak in NHL history.
After a breakout season, the Blue Jackets are ready to take that next step. Here’s an outlook for their season.
Forwards
Columbus’s forward group got even deeper going into this season with the addition of Artemi Panarin from Chicago. They had to send back Brandon Saad, but Panarin should thrive as a top line winger next to Alexander Wennberg, who is coming into his own.
Cam Atkinson will look to have a big season again after a breaking out with 35 goals last season.
Nick Foligno scored 26 goal season last year, bouncing back after he struggled the season before.
Boone Jenner is a good depth player and will be in the Jackets top nine again. Josh Anderson will also be their top nine whenever he gets his contract.
They’ll need Brandon Dubinsky to bounce back from just 12 goals last year and improve on his 49.1 CF%.
They have some young depth in their bottom six such as Markus Hannikainen and Lukas Sedlak and a veteran option in Jordan Schroeder, but overall, this is an above-average forward group.
Defense
Columbus’s defense was far better than a lot of evaluators thought it was going to be last year, with a large part due to the emergence of Zach Werenski. Werenski put on a show in his rookie season last year and was a candidate for the Calder trophy. He had 11 goals and 47 points last year and had a CF% of 54.1 which is extraordinary for his first season.
Werenski will be on the top pairing with Seth Jones, whom they got in return for Ryan Johansen. Jones had 12 goals and 42 points last season, which is highest point total to date. That’s likely going to be one of the best top pairings in the league next year.
Jack Johnson and David Savard is a decent pairing, but it’s not one of the best top four pairings in the league. Further on down, they have Ryan Murray who has yet to breakout yet, so this could be a make or break season for him in Columbus.
There’s also Markus Nutivarra, Gabriel Carlsson, and Scott Harrington all vying for a spot on the bottom pairing. If there’s a place where Columbus may look to upgrade during the season, it’ll be this position. It’s never a bad idea to bolster your blueline for a deep playoff run.
Goaltending
Sergei Bobrovsky will of course be back in net this season after another outstanding season when he won the Vezina, his second. He won 41 games, posting a 2.06 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. His .931 save percentage was a career best for him.
He also finished third in the Hart trophy voting for league MVP and was one of the biggest reasons why Columbus had their best season in franchise history last year.
He’ll need to be at that level again, especially in the playoffs where he’s struggled – a .900 save percentage. Bob will be in the conversation again for another Vezina again next year as he’s one of the five best goaltenders in the league.
Questions
Looking ahead to trade deadline – if sellers who could be on the move, if buyers what area might they need to improve?
They’re likely not going to be sellers, but if they want to improve, they’ll want to get deeper at center so they can match up better with a team such as Pittsburgh in the playoffs. Teams that are deep down the middle tend to have a better chance to go very far in the playoffs.
What rookies could make the team?
Forward Vitaly Abramov feels like he can make the Jackets team this season after he lit up the QMJHL last season. Don’t sleep on Pierre-Luc Dubois of course as he potentially has a chance to be on the roster.
Which player could take a step forward this season?
Alexander Wennberg can take another step forward after a career-best 59 point season. He got a big extension right before training camp and could breakout goal-scoring wise this season.
Which players could regress?
There’s always a chance someone like Atkinson could regress, though I wouldn’t bet on it. Dubinsky could take a step back as he’s now entering his 30’s. He scored just 12 goals last season. It’s also always possible that Bobrovsky doesn’t get to .931 again and posts somewhere in the .920s.
Are there any training camp battles expected?
There should be some bottom six battles expected after a few departures – Hartnell and Gagner – this offseason. Dubois and Abramov will be in a battle with other players such as Milano, and Hannikainen to make the team. Jordan Schroeder will also be in there as well in a fight for a winger spot.