The Blue Jackets will hopefully be a true contender over the next few years. It is long overdue.
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50 Comments
Bob & Panarin not wanting to resign in Columbus, Dubois being a headcase, Gaudreau underachieving, Laine always hurt, Babcock's an asshole who hadn't learnt his lesson in Toronto.
Merzlikins shitting the bed after 3 good seasons & getting that contract, first round picks not really setting the league on fire..
Man, even if half of those didn't happen, one would think they would've made the playoffs at least once in the last 4 years.
I think Jarmo did mistakes, but what could he have done with Bob, Panarin, Laine, Gaudreau & Merzlikins?
we need a full rebrand. 25 years of irrelevance lets change logo, jerseys, etc
It can’t get no worse! – John Lennon falsetto voice.
Actually it can: their D is a shoulder shrug, their tandem shaky at best, and O my lord.
The addition of Monahan might help Gaudreau get his groove back, but not as before I’d say.
I feel for Fantilli; he looked so giddy on draft day but I bet his mood now isn’t so sanguine. Laine’s “trade me” distraction doesn’t help, doubt they do a deal that’s a net-positive other than $ saved, and they’ll have to retain a good chunk of his current contract.
I could see Columbus doing better than most expect this year and finishing either fifth or sixth in the metro. Hot take but I could maybe see them leapfrogging Pittsburgh this year.
The Russian line was wonderful last season but I think it's gotta be split up to get Fantilli some proper ice time as the 2C.
Give me:
Gaudreau-Monahan-Marchenko
Jenner-Fantilli-Johnson
Voronkov-Sillinger-Chinakhov (Sillingerov line was also effective last year)
Ultimately I think our goaltending will sink us in the standings (Tarasov is MAYBE a 1b in a really optimistic scenario) but as you pointed out, we have scoring depth on paper and it's time to see some goals.
Hoping this year elvis can get back at it, the thing is though, after the death of matiss it really hit him and when the season started after this he wasnt in the right headplace. Not to mention the fact that the same season people threw that out the window and was making death threats to his wife and baby. I believe elvis can be the great goaltender from the days before all these tragic events, but only with the right help. Still think he can have the same success when he had something like 5 shutouts in a 8 game span.
Being from Pittsburgh I look at Columbus like I look at the Browns. It’s just better when they are good, those playoffs from a few years back with the 5th line we’re great. Like the Browns though they just aren’t good very often. Of course it’s only good when the Pens & Steelers win 😂 (which has generally been the case).
I woukd take a chance on laine and elvis trade if they retained salary.
I liked the Jackets since they joined the NHL. I thought Ohio would work for hockey. In the Rick Nash era, I wished they could have gotten it together. They had a big, talented power forward and should have been able to be a playoff team in the late 2000s if they could have drafted other good players.
Yes Shannon is correct. Mediocrity equals excellence in Columbus. Attendance is good despite being a bad organization. If they don’t make the playoffs in 2 seasons, You would have to question the ownership. Been the same ownership since their inception.
I feel pretty bad that when they had their best season ever, finishing 4th in the league, they were still 3rd in the metro.
Jackets dodges a bullet by not going with McClellan. Yeah, he'd be better than Paz and Lars, but his reputation as a choke artist and LOSING with talented teams precedes his pros.
Evason is a safe, solid option, probably the structure they need. They'll be better, but other bad teams in the east are ahead of them. Detroit and Buffalo have sharper upside, and even declining empires like the Penguins and Capitals are tougher to play against. Blue Jackets may surprise people with harder play, but I'm not holding my breath for a sweeping turnaround. There's too many unanswered questions in team defense and leaky goaltending
Just need some management for all of the strong prospects, I always get excited about the new kids coming on the team, just hope this year they do that.
where are the season previews you promised us in august
If anyone can get the best out of this team it’s Evanson
It appears the Blue Jackets are the Cleveland Browns of the NHL. No matter what they do nothing positive will come of it.
Goaltending and speed are desperately needed. I just want to see some quality hockey from them. Win or lose, let them fight for it!
As a jackets fan, I’m just happy to have someone cover this team at all. And you do a phenomenal job. Not only with this team but with the entire league. Thank you for all your hard work!
Be nice to see them in the playoffs again. Same with Buffalo and Ottawa
They should bring that jersey back.
They're retaining at least 1 mil on Korpi.
A competitive Columbus makes for a healthier, more interesting NHL.
I'm not an expert on the man, but I wonder if their top offensive forward hasn't figured out a way to get paid a lot of money playing a sport he loves and not exactly mind getting a longer summer break while doing it.
Fantilli has to be a center. He is the future
Current blue jackets remind me of what the Panthers were about a decade ago.
As a long-suffering Blue Jackets fan since the very beginning, I appreciate your informed, astute evaluations. Too many content creators enjoy trashing and insulting the Jackets or pushing out breathlessly hopeful propaganda. I turn to you first for meaningful information. Thank you, Shannon. Keep up the good work.
I've been a fan since day 1 of the team. It has been a rough go for the most part but will make the eventual cup victory that much sweeter. I don't think playoffs this year but "should" see sizeable improvement baring injuries. Don't think we will get over the hump until goal tending gets sorted. Glad they are finally going with a coach that has experience in the NHL. Things should be looking up.
Just seeing a change in the attitude and culture would be a win for me this year. They're not a playoff team and prob won't be for a couple of years unless the young guys take a huge step. Net will still be a problem no matter how you slice it with that Merzlikins contract. But just showing something new and different for the fan base to latch onto would be a massive step for me this coming season.
The biggest contribution to hockey by Columbus was the automatic penalty for shooting the puck over the glass, which was pretty much their go to move during the worst of their clutch and grab era. You have to hope that at some point they become something more.
This is a solid take. My guy has done his research. I love the Russian line and I think they should stay together no matter what. I know this may seem like a silly idea, but I kinda like an all-Michigan line. (mind you…NOT a Michigan fan). It could work though. Johnson, Fantilli, Brindley?
I also like Gambrell a lot. He was so good in college. Thought he would have had more impact in the league by now. I can see him complementing Kuraly and Olivier well on the 4th line.
Been a CBJ fan for 10 years now after I went to my first game. I have gotten use to the hurt that comes in late November when the games no longer matter as much and the playoffs seem out of reach. Don, Dean and the other new faces up front have me hopeful but hesitant. I am interested to see how things develop through the off season and into training camp and beyond but I am still expecting a few more very bad seasons of hockey in a barn that will still be full of fans that love their team. All I ask of this season is that we hear the cannon blast in the shoe.
In don we trust.
Lifelong CBJ fan – i think we should
a. Get rid of Elvis for a solid 1b goaltender
b, Jet Greaves put up record numbers in the ahl, he’s young but he will develop into a 1a goalie
c. Get 2 solid defensive defensman for a 1st and 2nd line pairing with werenski and jirisheck.
d. Get a power forward with a good shot and good hands
e. A solid 4th line of 2-way forwards.
You like Dean Evason because he looks like Creed. The image of Creed behind an NHL bench fascinates me too.
Columbus should have Florida's goalie
Name should be Ohio Blue Jackets
The most pathetic NHL franchise ever
20+ years and still embarrassing
They better get moved to Quebec if they start losing money
Can players from other teams reach out to Laine and “work out” with him on-ice, but unofficially in the off-season? To see if he clicks with them? Or is that not an option…
Blows my mind they can fill an arena… the memes of nothing happening in Ohio must be spot on….
Let’s go Jackets! Great video.
The fans DESERVE a competitive team. I’ve been a fan since I was five years old and I’ve seen nothing but mediocrity except for the year we swept Tampa. Nationwide was bumping like I’ve never seen it before.
The fans have done nothing but show up and support this team since the beginning. Now it’s their turn to give us a winning or competitive team on the ice.
I trust in Waddell and Evanson. Now it’s the players turn to give us results.
Great Video, as usual, Shannon
Day 1 CBJ fan…the team has been frustrating because you can look on paper and see a quality team that should compete well every game and then you're disappointed. There is a lot of talent on the roster, but coaching has been absent the past four years (and longer). The organization let Bednar leave Cleveland and land in Colorado (and immediately win a cup).
If Evason instills his will with the locker room, I wouldn't be surprised for this to be a playoff team this year. Guys like KJ, Sillinger, Fantilli, Jiricik, and Svozil can have breakout seasons all at the same time with the right mentorship and coaching. If that happens, this can be a very dangerous team. If it doesn't, a lot of roster will be cleared out at the deadline as Waddell will swing a big axe.
I expect Tarasov to be G1 out of camp with Greaves in Cleveland to get quality starts. Elvis will be G2 in Cbus and have a short leash this season…I've never seen a goalie who is so inside his own head. My HS goalies are more calm and collected in high pressure situations.
I'd love to see Laine give the new regime an honest chance and play to his capabilities for once. Looks like he's put in a lot of work this off-season!
If you're from Ohio like I am and remember their inception, then you love them. If you're not from Ohio, then there's no reason to root or follow them. They're the team that exists but never has done much and spent their lifetime as either mediocre or awful. They're the Arizona Cardinals, San Diego Padres (though that may have changed now), or the Charlotte Hornets of the NHL. Could they make the playoffs? Sure, why not, it's the NHL, the most unpredictable of all of the sports leagues.
born and raised a blue jackets fan and i'm excited but nervous for this season. excited and hopeful for Waddell and Evanson to bring some magic back to our team. worried about laine (love him and would like him to stay but i get why he may want out) and some other things (they aren't coming to mind currently)
5:24 All I want for Christmas
God I hope so
idc what anyone says. if columbus can become a regular deep playoff contender. like carolina (ironically) or rangers. they will be the most popular team in the league.
Jackets have been around 24 years?? That's obviously a long time to have as little success as they have. They have boatload of issues, but as I see it, getting Gaudreau untracked is the key. He needs to be scoring WAY more than 12 goals. If he could approach the success he had in Calgary, he could carry this team on his back to at least respectability. The Columbus fans haven't had much to cheer about, but hats off to them for strongly supporting this team. When they get good, that will mean a lot.
I so enjoyed following the Jackets after watching All Star hosting in 2015.. Torts time there..and really I thought the future was there for them and then watched Jarmo stumble. He kept letting quality core guys go elsewhere ..then didn’t add guys to fill the gap..
All that to say I think the new GM situation is really promising..team identity is key and I think Waddell gets that based on how nicely Canes brought that along..🥅🏒🌿🛣️✅
If Tarasov can be decent or Elvis bounces back (unlikely as that is), I genuinely think this team could be better than expected. The Monahan contract is a massive unnecessary risk to me though.
Nurse for laine?