Jake Christiansen has gone from an afterthought on the Blue Jackets’ blue line to a player who has forced his way into the lineup.
With Columbus finally able to dress its full defense corps, Christiansen is still there. That’s the surprise. He entered camp looking like the No. 9 defenseman, but he has climbed past three others and made himself hard to remove.
That climb got a little clearer last week when the Blue Jackets sent Carson Soucy to the Cleveland Monsters after placing him on waivers. Soucy was the obvious candidate to slide in once the roster got healthier, but Christiansen’s play has changed that equation.
His path to this point has never been easy. An undrafted player, Christiansen spent five seasons in the Western Hockey League before earning a pro contract with Columbus off strong offensive production with the Everett Silvertips.
After junior, he spent the next four years shuttling between the Blue Jackets and the Cleveland Monsters. Then, in 2024-25, he finally looked like he was getting a real NHL foothold.
He played 68 games that season, scored 8 points, and gave Columbus a third-pairing option. But the momentum didn’t last. Last year, he appeared in only 40 games and averaged just over 10 minutes per night.
This season began much the same way. Even with the Blue Jackets missing three regular defensemen, Christiansen was in the press box. He was scratched behind Soucy and Emil Andrae, the newly acquired defenseman.
Since that scratch - and after our own article wondering if it was time to move on - Christiansen has done exactly what he needed to do. He has worked his way not just past Soucy and Andrae, but apparently ahead of Erik Gudbranson as well. The Blue Jackets’ projected lineup for tonight has him in the mix.
The way he’s playing, it’s easy to miss him on the ice, and that’s a compliment. Christiansen has settled into a role built on simple, fast hockey.
He looks steady. He looks reliable.
And for the first time in his career, outside of maybe that brief stretch in 2024-25, he looks like he belongs.
Whether that comes down to coaching or a shift in his own approach, Christiansen has earned the spot. The real question now is whether he and Dante Fabbro can give Columbus something it has been missing for a few seasons: a third defense pair that can handle more than 10 minutes at even strength.
That would take some pressure off a top four that has carried a heavy load. Tonight will be a good test of whether this version of the Blue Jackets’ back end can finally spread things out a little.
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Blue Jackets Fans May Hate This Maple Leafs Trade Buzz
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For Blue Jackets fans, the mere mention of Werenski in that kind of rumor mill is enough to turn heads, even if it remains nothing more than trade buzz for now. Any serious pursuit of a player of that stature would come with a steep price and a lot of moving parts, which is exactly why these discussions matter to Columbus even before anything concrete develops. [Read more 🡒]