The Columbus Blue Jackets are still chasing something that has barely existed in their franchise history: real playoff success. In 25 years as an NHL team, they’ve won only two rounds of postseason hockey, and that’s the backdrop as they head into another season trying to break through.
Last season ended the same way too many have for Columbus. The Blue Jackets were in the mix for one of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spots, but they faded badly when it mattered most. A 2-7-1 finish over their last 10 regular-season games left them out of the field for a sixth straight year, and they wound up six points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the final wild card berth.
That collapse makes this offseason feel especially important. Columbus finished 40-30-12, and there’s a real case that this should have been the year they got back into the postseason.
Even a modestly better closing stretch might have changed everything. Instead, the Blue Jackets watched the chance slip away, and the roster changes since then raise an obvious question: did they do enough to stay at that level, much less improve?
The biggest addition is Valeri Nichushkin, and the price was light - draft picks only. That’s a strong move for Columbus, especially when you compare him to Mason Marchment. Nichushkin doesn’t bring the same leadership Boone Jenner did, but he does make the team better right now.
There’s also Ryan Lomberg, who had a major role with the Florida Panthers when they won their first Stanley Cup. He slipped out of the spotlight in Calgary, but Columbus is hoping he can become a useful depth piece if things click.
And then there’s Phoenix Copley, brought in as a solid third-string goalie. He could even move into a backup role if the Blue Jackets eventually decide to trade Elvis Merzlikins.
So the question hanging over Columbus is the same one that’s followed them for years: can this group finally get to the playoffs, or is it another season spent on the outside looking in?
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Matt Rempe Faces A Rangers Camp Battle That Just Got Real
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Now the real work is less about recovery and more about earning a place in a crowded bottom-six picture. Rempe is set to compete for one of those limited spots against younger forwards such as Jaroslav Chmelar and Adam Sykora, which makes camp a meaningful test rather than a formality. For a player still trying to reestablish himself, the battle ahead feels like the sort that can shape not just his role, but his immediate future with the Rangers. [Read more 🡒]