For the 2024–25 Columbus Blue Jackets, the theme was overcoming.
The organization overcame the death of Johnny Gaudreau, the loss of Boone Jenner and Erik Gudbranson for most of the season, and the challenge of learning a new coach's system—falling just two points shy of a playoff berth.
This season, the expectation is the playoffs; the front office, coaching staff, and players all understand this. What are reasonable expectations for the 2025–26 Blue Jackets, and is this team ready to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs? For that, things need to continue to evolve, and players need to continue to grow.
James van Riemsdyk, Sean Kuraly, Justin Danforth, Kevin Labanc, Luke Kunin, Daniil Tarasov, Jack Johnson
Charlie Coyle, Miles Wood, Isac Lundeström, Brenden Smith, Hudson Fasching
Forwards
Dmitri Voronkov – Sean Monahan – Kirill Marchenko
Boone Jenner – Adam Fantilli – Kent Johnson
Yegor Chinakhov – Charlie Coyle – Cole Sillinger
Miles Wood – Isac Lundeström – Mathieu Olivier
Defense
Zach Werenski / Dante Fabbro
Denton Mateychuk / Ivan Provorov
Damon Severson / Erik Gudbranson
Goaltenders
Elvis Merzlikins
Jet Greaves
Even with the projected lineup, two Columbus prospects are due for promotions soon: James Malatesta and Luca Del Bel Belluz, who had a good showing with the Blue Jackets last season in a nine-game stint.
Yegor Chinakhov requested a trade due to being a healthy scratch coming down the stretch last season. Head coach Dean Evason said he recently met with Chinakhov to clear the air. While the player has not rescinded his request, he is not actively pressing for one either. If Chinakhov does get traded, then an already thin LW group gets even thinner.
Last season, the Columbus Blue Jackets scored 267 goals and gave up 267 goals for a +0 goal differential. The 267 goals scored were a franchise record, placing the Blue Jackets seventh in scoring. The 267 goals against placed the organization 25th out of 32 in the NHL. The issue was part goaltending and part defensive play. The Blue Jackets also ranked 22nd on the penalty kill.
Their .892 save percentage ranked Columbus 17th in the NHL for goaltending. Heading into training camp, there is expected to be intense competition between Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves for the starting net. Merzlikins will have to fend off Greaves, who was hot coming down the stretch last season. Greaves posted a .973 SV% and 9.62 5v5 GSAx.
With a 26-10-5 home record, the Blue Jackets were able to stay in the playoff chase. A 14-23-4 road record kept them out of the playoffs. One glaring stat that was the main reason for missing the playoffs was that the Blue Jackets were just 2-9 in the second games of back-to-backs. This year, because of the 2026 Winter Olympics, NHL teams have more back-to-back games scheduled. The team hired a new strength and conditioning coach with the hopes of improving the back-to-back record.
Don Waddell did not make a ton of offseason changes and instead is looking at the organization’s young core to take the next step. Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov, and Cole Sillinger all showed why the Blue Jackets are close to being a playoff team once again. Those players, as well as second-year defenseman Denton Mateychuk, are going to be counted on heavily again.
If the young core can deliver again—which is not a given because player development is not linear—Columbus should be in the thick of the playoff race once again. The one drawback is the blueline. The Blue Jackets must be better defensively if they are to be a playoff team.
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