The Hockey News’ latest yearbook projection doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in Columbus Blue Jackets fans.
In THN’s Metro Division forecast for the 2026-27 season, the Blue Jackets are slotted seventh out of eight teams, ahead of only the New York Rangers. The full order has the Carolina Hurricanes first, followed by the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Columbus, and then New York.
That’s the kind of ranking that lands with a thud, even if Columbus hasn’t taken a step backward on paper. The bigger issue, according to the magazine’s read, is that the Blue Jackets also haven’t clearly moved forward.
There is at least one major storyline still hanging over the club with camp getting closer. The team is 41 days away from the start of the 2026-27 season, and Adam Fantilli remains the key item left on the agenda. The expectation is that he will be signed and ready for camp, but the timing is still unresolved.
The goaltending picture also got more complicated after yesterday’s news that Elvis Merzlikins needed shoulder surgery. With that development, Jet Greaves is set to enter the season as the undisputed No. 1 goalie. Veteran Pheonix Copley will back him up and, as THN notes, can provide solid support in the crease.
For a franchise that has already dealt with plenty of turbulence this summer, the Metro prediction adds another uncomfortable layer. The Blue Jackets still have time to sort out the details before opening night, but the outside view of where they stand right now is pretty clear.
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Blue Jackets Suddenly Have A Goalie Question Heading Into Camp
Columbus is heading toward camp with an unexpected layer of uncertainty in goal after Elvis Merzlikins had shoulder surgery this summer. The veteran has been a major part of the Blue Jackets' crease plans, but his recovery timeline is unclear, leaving the club to sort through a situation that was supposed to be settled long before the season ramps up.
Pheonix Copley is the name now expected to slot in behind the starter while Merzlikins works his way back, which gives the Blue Jackets a very different feel entering camp than they had a few weeks ago. For a team trying to build some stability, the backup role suddenly matters a lot more, and how Columbus handles that depth chart could shape the early weeks of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Suddenly Have A Playoff Case Fans Can Argue About
After a run of recent NHL seasons in which fresh faces kept sliding into the playoff field, Columbus is again part of the conversation as one of the teams expected to be in the mix next spring. The Blue Jackets have spent the offseason trying to turn promise into a more reliable 82-game profile, with roster changes and player development giving them a better argument than they had a year ago.
Adam Fantilli remains part of the larger optimism around the club, even as his contract situation lingers in the background, and the Blue Jackets still have some defensive questions to answer before anyone can pencil them in with confidence. Still, the path is clear enough to make them interesting: if the young core takes the next step and the group around it holds together, Columbus can make a real case for itself in a race that figures to stay crowded. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Fans Will Remember The No. 41 Twist That Lingered Years
Jersey No. 41 has carried a strange little history in Columbus, one that stretches from early organizational names to players who came and went before ever truly making the number their own. Matt Davidson, Brad Moran, Simon, Adam Pineault and Allen York all had turns with it, each bringing a different path through the Blue Jackets system, whether via draft status, short stints, trades or later career moves elsewhere. The number became less a symbol of one player and more a marker of the teams shifting early years.
Alexander Wennberg eventually became the most memorable of the group, in part because his time in Columbus lasted long enough for the number to stick in fans minds. His chapter with the Blue Jackets included the kind of contract and roster turnover that can linger long after a player is gone, and the aftermath of that move has taken years to fully clear. Even now, the No. 41 thread still feels like one of those franchise details that invites a second look. [Read more 🡒]