The Blue Jackets can talk all they want about tuning out the noise from a chaotic summer, but the real test is simpler than that: can their second line actually give them something every night?
That’s the piece that could decide whether Columbus is a team that keeps knocking on the playoff door or one that never quite gets through it. Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko give the Blue Jackets a real chance to ice a legitimate first line, but that only matters if the rest of the forward group pulls its weight.
Last season, the second line never settled in. Sean Monahan’s health became a lingering issue, while Kent Johnson and Dmitri Voronkov both saw their production fall off.
The result was a team that became too top-heavy, and opponents noticed. Scoring dried up at the worst possible time, especially in the stretch of games that mattered most, and Columbus finished with another failed season.
Monahan clearly wasn’t at full strength for much of the year. There were stretches when it looked like he was rounding into form, but he never looked like the player who had been one of the team’s best offensive weapons in 2024-25.
Johnson and Voronkov had their own problems. Both spent time in the press box, and both saw their numbers slide.
Johnson was moved all over the lineup when he dressed, even landing on the fourth line at times, and his offense dropped by 35 points in one season. Voronkov’s output declined across the board despite a strong start, and he wound up playing three fewer minutes per night while struggling to get steady ice under head coach Rick Bowness.
If Columbus wants a dependable second unit, those three can’t just be better. They have to bounce back.
The Blue Jackets also have options to shuffle around depending on performance and matchup. The expectation is that Monahan will open as the center on that line, with Valeri Nichushkin and Conor Garland as possible wings. That combination would bring some veteran punch and a two-way edge.
Nichushkin offers size, speed and physical play, along with the flexibility to fit into different spots in a structure-driven system like Bowness’." He has already shown he can fill a complementary role next to stars in Colorado, and that kind of experience could matter for a younger group trying to take the next step.
Garland brings a different look. He didn’t finish last season especially well, but his game is easy to spot: speed, feistiness and a willingness to battle for pucks despite his small frame.
When he’s rolling, he can score in bunches. Like Nichushkin, he can move around the lineup, and the big question is how he meshes with whichever linemates he gets.
If Bowness doesn’t go that route, Johnson or Voronkov could slide into the second-line mix. Johnson’s skill and Voronkov’s size would each change the look of the group. Columbus could also turn to Cole Sillinger or Mathieu Olivier on the wings, and Charlie Coyle is another possible center, with Coyle and Monahan potentially interchangeable.
What matters most is not the exact combination but the result. If the Blue Jackets had gotten steadier production from their second line last season, there’s a fair argument they would have been a playoff team in 2025-26. Even with the flaws, they were close enough that the gap feels obvious now.
The standard for success isn’t a trio piling up huge numbers. It’s a line that can drive play, keep the top line from carrying every burden, and avoid getting crushed in tough minutes. The offense needs to be better, but it doesn’t have to be explosive.
If Johnson gets back to 50 points, if Voronkov gets to 20 goals and maybe pushes toward 30, and if Monahan returns to his usual two-way form, that would be a major lift. If Nichushkin and Garland are the ones holding the line together, then the burden shifts to their ability to bring reliable two-way play every night.
In the end, this group will be judged by usage and production. The Blue Jackets want them taking on opposing second lines, and if they can keep the goal share in a decent place - around 52 percent - without getting buried, that would put Columbus in a much better spot.
Bowness’ challenge is finding a second line that doesn’t need constant rearranging. Last season, too many key minutes were lost to inconsistency, which pushed more of the load onto the top players.
If the Blue Jackets can get this line up to 16 minutes a night instead of 12 or 13, that changes everything. If they’re forced to keep mixing and matching, another long season could follow.
For Columbus, the formula is clear: roll four lines, or pay for it. If the Blue Jackets have to lean too heavily on their top players or spend too many nights using only three lines, they’ll be asking for trouble.
Whoever earns those top-six spots has to produce at a much higher level than they did in 2025-26. That’s the swing factor for this team in 2026-27.
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