The Blue Jackets finally get back on the ice tonight, and the timing could hardly be better for a team that has spent six days sitting on its hands. After playing just twice, Columbus opens its first Metropolitan Division matchup of the season against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who already have four games under their belt.
The biggest boost comes on the blue line. All signs point to Damon Severson making his season debut Friday against Pittsburgh after completing a full practice Thursday.
Severson has been out since March 26, when he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, and the early-season schedule ended up working in the Jackets’ favor. With only two games before the long break, he had time to get all the way back before being thrown into the mix.
That mattered even more once Columbus lost two more defensemen, Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro. Now Severson steps into a lineup that needs him right away, and the Jackets will be asking a lot from him in a game where points are going to be absolutely critical.
One thing worth watching: how cleanly Columbus starts. In its first two games, the team looked out of sync.
Passes were off, players were trying to force the issue, and by the end of the Utah game the problems were hard to miss. But after five full days off, the Blue Jackets basically had a second training camp to work through those issues.
The coaching staff had time to reset things, and the expectation is that the team comes out with plenty of energy.
The real question is whether that energy turns into structure. If Columbus plays connected and sticks to its system, the pace should be there. If it gets loose, Pittsburgh can make it hurt fast.
Another key area is momentum. Against Buffalo on opening night, the Blue Jackets were able to score relatively easily and carry the flow of the game for long stretches. When the Sabres started pushing back, Mathieu Olivier made something happen and the Jackets found their footing again before closing it out.
That didn’t happen against Utah. The momentum leaned the other way for most of that night, and Columbus never truly got back into it. For this team, that’s the next step: developing an identity and using its toughness and physical play to swing games back in its favor, especially in Metro matchups.
Severson’s return should also help in a practical way that Columbus badly needs. The Blue Jackets had trouble getting the puck out of their own end in both of their first two games, and tonight they should be getting about 20 minutes from Severson instead of 8 minutes of Jake Christiansen. That bumps everyone but Zach Werenski down a spot and should make life easier in the defensive zone.
It also takes some pressure off the goaltender, especially with #87 on the ice, who is still really good.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 from Nationwide.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Fans Still Face One Big Access Issue Next Season
The Blue Jackets have lined up a clearer path for fans to watch their non-nationally televised games in 2026-27, with in-market subscribers set to get access through Spectrum, Prime Video and Fubo. It is the sort of distribution update that matters well beyond the fine print, because for plenty of Columbus-area viewers, where a game lands each night can shape how closely they follow the season.
Even so, one familiar access problem remains unsettled. The club says it is still talking with DIRECTV and Breezeline, and those providers have not yet agreed to carry the games, leaving a notable gap in the local viewing picture for next season. Columbus is encouraging fans to contact those companies and push for access, a reminder that the broadcast side of the sport is still very much part of the teams day-to-day fight for attention. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Showed Promise But One Early Concern Still Lingers
There was plenty to like in the Blue Jackets home win over Pittsburgh, starting with the way they handled possession and dictated much of the night. Columbus also got an encouraging boost from the blue line with lineup shuffling in the mix and a familiar face back in the fold, giving the group a little more balance as it tries to settle in early.
Still, the game also served as a reminder that process and finishing are not always the same thing. The Jackets created looks but had trouble cashing them in, even with Cam Talbot making his team debut in goal, and the next layer of evaluation now shifts to how quickly Columbus can turn that territorial edge into a more reliable scoring touch. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Fans Get An Early Read On Bowness' Game Plan
An early look at Rick Bowness lineup gives Blue Jackets fans a sense of how Columbus plans to handle its matchup with the St. Louis Blues, with several moving parts still to sort through before puck drop. The game is set to be available on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, giving fans multiple ways to keep tabs on a roster that is still being shaped by recent injury and availability issues.
The projected group reflects a team trying to work around a few absences while keeping its structure intact, and the scratches and injured reserve list only sharpen the focus on how Bowness wants this one played. For Columbus, the lineup watch matters just as much as the result against St. Louis, because the choices on the sheet can hint at where the coach sees stability and where he still needs answers. [Read more 🡒]