The Blue Jackets finally got a little something from Conor Garland, and they needed it.
For most of October, the veteran winger was nowhere near the player Columbus thought it was getting when it brought him in from Vancouver at last year’s deadline. Garland opened his Jackets run with four goals in his first three games, the kind of burst that made the two picks sent to the Canucks look like a bargain. But that spark vanished fast, and by the time Columbus was grinding through its playoff race, he had gone ice cold - zero goals and one assist over the final 13 games as the team narrowly missed the postseason again.
That rough finish rolled straight into this season. Garland went through all 12 of the Blue Jackets’ October games without a point and sat at minus-4.
He bounced around the lineup, moving between the second, third and fourth lines as the coaching staff searched for the right fit. His last NHL goal came on March 19th, 2026.
However you slice it - eye test, counting stats or advanced numbers - the output simply has not matched the role.
The drought ended in Columbus’ recent game against the Avalanche, when Garland picked up an assist on an Ivan Provorov power-play goal while skating on the second line. That helper snapped a 20-game scoreless streak that stretched back to last season.
There are a few reasons the fit has been awkward. The Blue Jackets added Valeri Nichushkin and Matthew Knies before the season, which cut into the ice time available for top-end wingers.
It is also fair to wonder whether Garland fits cleanly in a Rick Bowness offense. And the problem is not limited to him; Lomberg, Heinen and Del Bel Belluz also have yet to record a point.
Still, Garland is the one under the brightest spotlight. The others were not expected to carry the offense, and none of them are making anywhere close to half of Garland’s $6M cap hit.
Columbus is now in year one of the six-year extension he signed in Vancouver, a deal that carries three years of a full no-movement clause and three more seasons of trade protection. If he cannot get back to the form that made him such a useful, versatile forward, that contract could become a real obstacle.
For now, the Jackets are hoping that one assist is the start of something bigger. Garland has shown enough over his career to suggest there is still value there if he can turn his nightly flashes into actual production.
Columbus does not need a ghost. It needs the version of Garland it traded for.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Get Another Chance To Prove Something Against Dallas
Five days after seeing Dallas in the first meeting of the season, the Blue Jackets get a quick shot at a better result when the Stars come to Columbus for the rematch. The timing gives this one a little extra edge, especially with the Jackets coming off a win over Colorado and looking to show that the gap between a solid night and a frustrating one is not nearly as wide as it looked in the first matchup.
For Columbus, the formula is pretty clear: stay disciplined defensively, make Dallas pay when it slips, and carry the confidence from the last game into this one. Cam Talbot is lined up to start in goal, which puts the focus on a group that knows it has to be cleaner in its own end and sharper when chances open up against one of the Wests more reliable teams. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Are Finally Showing A More Encouraging Trend
A homestand that started with a jolt of momentum ended with Columbus taking a step in the right direction, as the Blue Jackets outlasted the Stars in a shootout after a 1-1 tie through regulation and overtime. The result pushed the club back to .500 and gave it four points over the two-game stretch against Colorado and Dallas, a small but meaningful sign that the group is finding a steadier rhythm.
Zach Werenski helped set the tone by getting on the board for the first time this season, and Cam Talbot gave Columbus the kind of goaltending it has needed with a string of timely stops. The game still had to be settled beyond overtime, and the Jackets were able to leave the homestand with a better feeling than they entered it, even if the final margin came only after plenty of tense moments. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Knies Looks Dangerous But Blue Jackets Still Have One Problem
Matthew Knies arrived with some early buzz for Columbus, and the first impression was promising enough to make the fit look immediate. He put up four points in his first two games, flashed the kind of puck control and power-forward presence that can tilt shifts, and the underlying possession numbers have stayed encouraging even as the overall scoring pace has cooled.
The problem is that the production has not matched the territorial edge. Knies has only one assist in his last 11 games, and the gap between how dangerous he looks and how often he actually finishes plays has become hard to ignore. The Jackets like what they are seeing in his game, but the next step is clear: he has to get more pucks to the net if the offense is going to catch up with the rest of his play. [Read more 🡒]