The Blue Jackets are heading into 2026-27 with a clear need for more from several key pieces, and a few players stand out as prime bounce-back candidates after uneven 2025-26 seasons.
Columbus finished the year on a rough note, and that late stumble pushed the franchise’s playoff drought to six seasons. If the Blue Jackets are going to get back into the postseason in 2026-27, they’ll need their top names performing, but they’ll also need a handful of players to rebound from down years and rediscover their usual production.
Kent Johnson is one of the biggest names on that list. The 23-year-old forward had a difficult 2025-26 campaign, finishing with seven goals and 22 points in 76 games.
He was also a healthy scratch at times, which only added to the frustration. Still, Johnson’s track record suggests there’s more offense in there.
In 2024-25, he set career highs with 24 goals, 33 assists and 57 points in 68 games. He also put up 16 goals and 40 points in 79 games for Columbus in 2022-23.
If he gets back anywhere near those numbers, that would be a major lift for the Blue Jackets.
Conor Garland is another player who could be due for a stronger season. The 30-year-old forward saw his production dip last year, ending up with 12 goals and 33 points in 71 games between the Vancouver Canucks and Blue Jackets.
But his recent history points to a higher ceiling than that. From 2021-22 through 2024-25, Garland had at least 17 goals and 46 points, including a 2024-25 season in Vancouver where he scored 19 goals and totaled 50 points in 81 games.
That kind of output would go a long way for Columbus if he can get back to it.
Overall, the Blue Jackets have reason to believe a few of their players can rebound in 2026-27. For a team trying to climb out of a six-year playoff drought, that kind of turnaround could matter a lot.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Broadcast Change Could Finally Address A Major Fan Frustration
The Blue Jackets are making a notable change to how fans will watch the team, announcing a new broadcast deal with NHL Productions that is set to bring a different production setup to Columbus. Marc Gregory, the clubs vice president of business intelligence and broadcasting, said the organization is eager to tap into the leagues resources to improve game coverage, a move that fits a growing trend around the NHL as more teams look for help upgrading their regional telecasts.
The timing matters for a fan base that has had plenty to debate about its viewing experience, even if the shift will not arrive right away. The Blue Jackets will join a group of clubs that already includes the St. Louis Blues, Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild in working with NHL Productions, and the next question for Columbus is how the new arrangement will ultimately reach viewers once it takes effect in the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets TV Plan Is Finally Here But One Big Question Remains
The Blue Jackets television situation finally has a landing spot for this season, and it comes through a new partnership with the NHL after the team moved on from FanDuel Sports Network. Columbus is joining a small group of clubs in the league-backed setup, with games set to be carried across cable, satellite, streaming video and over-the-air television, giving fans a wider mix of ways to find the broadcasts.
What still makes the arrangement feel unfinished is what happens around the booth and behind the scenes. The team is taking on more of the business side of the operation, including ad sales, production costs and its own content creation, while the broadcast cast remains in flux as the new plan comes together. For a fan base that just wanted clarity on where to watch, the answer is in place, even if the full picture around the people making those telecasts is not. [Read more 🡒]
Can Evan Gardner Finally Ease The Blue Jackets Goalie Anxiety
The Blue Jackets have spent plenty of time trying to settle the most important position on the ice, so it is easy to see why Evan Gardner keeps drawing attention. Drafted in the second round in 2024 after Columbus moved up to get him, the Saskatoon Blades goalie arrives with a reputation as one of the organizations more intriguing young prospects as he heads into his first professional season.
Gardners recent WHL numbers have trended in the wrong direction, which is enough to make any goalie conversation in Columbus feel a little uneasy. Even so, he is still viewed as a prospect with real NHL upside, and the Blue Jackets are hoping the next few years bring the kind of development that could turn him into part of the answer in net. [Read more 🡒]