July 23 has become a date Columbus Blue Jackets fans can circle for all kinds of reasons, and the biggest swings in franchise history have tended to show up around it.
The most famous one came on July 23, 2012, when Columbus dealt Rick Nash to the New York Rangers for Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon, and a 2013 1st-rounder (Kerby Rychel). It was the kind of move that altered both franchises.
The Rangers later reached the Stanley Cup Final, while the Blue Jackets began the stretch of playoff appearances that followed in the years ahead. Nash eventually retired in 2019 with the Boston Bruins, then returned to Columbus to join the front office.
In 2022, the Blue Jackets retired his #61 and raised it to the rafters at Nationwide Arena.
The date also ties into one of the most important draft-day hauls in recent club memory. In 2021, Columbus sent Seth Jones to the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Adam Boqvist and three draft picks.
That package included the #12 overall pick in the 2021 draft and #44 overall in 2021, plus a first-round pick in either 2022 or 2023. GM Jarmo Kekelainen later flipped #44 to Carolina for defenseman Jake Bean.
The first-round pick from Chicago landed in 2022, and the Blue Jackets used it on defenseman David Jiricek. Because the pick was protected, it would have rolled to 2023 if Chicago had ended up with a top-2 selection in 2022.
Instead, Columbus got the 2022 pick, and the Blackhawks were able to draft Connor Bedard. It leaves behind the kind of what-if that can make a front office dizzy: imagine Chicago landing top 2 in 2022, and Columbus picking twice in the top 3 in 2023?
That same 2021 draft gave the Blue Jackets three more major pieces. With the 5th overall pick, they selected center Kent Johnson, who went on to have a strong rookie season in 22-23, appearing in 79 games and finishing with 40 points.
Cole Sillinger went 12th overall and made the team out of camp as a rookie, then produced 16 goals and 31 points. Columbus’ other first-round choice that year was defenseman Corson Ceulemans from the University of Wisconsin.
He spent two seasons with the Badgers before turning pro, posting 15 goals and 45 points across those two years and leading his team in points as a true freshman.
July 23 has even mattered in the contract world for Columbus. In 2026, the club went right down to the final seconds with goalie Jet Greaves, avoided an arbitration hearing, and reached a three-year deal with the young Canadian.
And just a day earlier, on July 22, 2022, the Blue Jackets sent Oliver Bjorkstrand to the Seattle Kraken. Columbus had signed Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine, and the move was viewed as necessary to make those additions happen.
Bjorkstrand was a fan favorite, and someone the writer had been following since he was around 15 years old playing in Denmark. He scored 20 goals and had 45 points last season for Seattle.
For the Blue Jackets, July 23 has a way of staying busy.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Fans Are Running Out Of Patience With Cayden Lindstrom
Cayden Lindstrom arrived in Columbus with the kind of draft pedigree that usually buys a prospect plenty of patience, but the early returns have only sharpened the scrutiny. Taken fourth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, he was once viewed as the Blue Jackets top prospect, yet his stock has slipped to No. 6 on the organizations latest list after a season at Michigan State that did not match the expectations attached to a high pick.
The numbers tell part of the story, with 3 goals and 10 points in 31 games, and they have done little to quiet the concerns around his development. For a fan base eager to see a real payoff from such a prominent investment, the coming season now feels important for Lindstrom in a way that goes beyond prospect rankings, because Columbus is still waiting for signs that he can turn promise into something much more concrete. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Still Have One Adam Fantilli Question Hanging Over Them
The Blue Jackets have already taken care of a couple of their own this summer by re-signing Jet Greaves and Cole Sillinger, but the biggest item left on the checklist is still Adam Fantilli. Columbus has been working through contract talks with the free agent center, and the expectation is that those discussions will pick back up next week after a brief pause.
There is no sense of alarm around the situation yet, especially with the club carrying just under $14.5 million in cap room to work with. Fantillis rise has made him one of the more important pieces in Columbus, and even with the talks on hold for the moment, the Blue Jackets still appear to have the flexibility to get something done once the conversation resumes. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Just Reinforced A Crucial Part Of Their Prospect Pipeline
Kevin Labanc is heading overseas for next season after signing a one-year deal with SC Rapperswil-Jona in Switzerland, another reminder of how quickly NHL depth can shift once free agency settles and players start choosing different paths. For Columbus, Labancs decision closes the book on a short stay with the Blue Jackets and leaves another familiar name off the North American board as teams continue sorting through their summer plans.
Elsewhere on the prospect front, Filip Novak landed with the Victoria Royals after his rights were acquired from Lethbridge, giving the Blue Jackets another young player to track in the CHL pipeline. The broader development picture keeps moving too, with Florida locking in its ECHL tie to Savannah for three more years and defenseman Kyle Masters choosing the University of Alberta for next season after a winding run through the trade market. [Read more 🡒]