Next Year’s Columbus Blue Jackets will be Most Talented in Franchise History
The 2018-2019 Columbus Blue Jackets should be the most talented CBJ team in the franchise’s young history. The competition isn’t really that close either.
Combing through almost two decades’ worth of rosters, it’s pretty transparent that the 2018-2019 Columbus Blue Jackets are set to become the franchise’s most talented team to date. There are plenty of metrics to test this theory, but they all check out the same. Next year’s Jackets should be tops, maybe only to the 2017-2018 squad.
Starting July 1st, free agency will undoubtedly impact who stays, goes and joins Columbus. That being said, buzz around the team (or lack thereof) suggests free agency should be relatively quiet across Ohio’s capital city.
Unlike any previous Blue Jackets squad, this year’s team should feature at the least, six players who have been on NHL All-Star rosters. The number climbs to seven all-stars if you include coach John Tortorella. The players include Artemi Panarin (2017), Sergei Bobrovsky (2015, 2017), Nick Foligno (2015), Cam Atkinson (2017), Zach Werenski (2018) and Seth Jones (2017-2018).
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Barring unforeseen blockbuster trades, I expect all six of these players back in Nationwide Arena this October. The CBJ’s young riches don’t end with all-star game accolades and certainly that’s only one way to measure a team’s lineup.
Likely to be the NHL’s youngest team next year, the Columbus Blue Jackets also have budding depth throughout the roster. Second year center Pierre-Luc Dubois had a breakout campaign in his rookie year. The sky is currently the limit for the 19-year-old Canadian. Former first round selection Alexander Wennberg features on both special teams units and can flash brilliance when healthy.
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Big-bodied Josh Anderson was the team’s goal leader before missing 17 games to a knee injury. Sniper Oliver Bjorkstrand surprised many with a 40-point effort in his rookie season. Also just twenty two years old, speedy winger Sonny Milano showed dynamic offensive skill at times as well.
Young Finn Markus Nutivaara earned a three year contract last season proving himself an up-and-coming, second pairing offensive defenseman. Shot blocking extraordinaire David Savard can be a shutdown defender. The fact that he’s slotted on a third pairing truly speaks to the hoard of talent the Jackets have on the blue line. When healthy, former second overall selection Ryan Murray also has two-way capabilities worthy of a second pairing.
Columbus Blue Jackets
If re-signed, Ian Cole could easily be a second pair defenseman on another team, but would play on the third in Columbus. Also a free agent, streaky winger Boone Jenner is by no means leftovers, having put up 30 goals just a couple seasons ago.
Previous Teams that Fall Short
When looking back I had to consider overall roster to find a team with nearly as much talent as the 2018-2019 Jackets. Mind you, I took into account where each player was at that point in their career.
This makes sense because just like you can’t talk about how loaded the Jackets were with William Karlsson on the fourth line, you can’t measure next year’s outfit considering who Brandon Dubinsky used to be in his prime.
The biggest challenge in trying to find a CBJ club with as much talent as next year’s was looking for premier skill on offense, defense and goaltending. This ideal blend of all three components of any great team has lacked in Columbus until now.
The 2015-2016 team had Bobrovsky in net and a lot of skill at forward but lacked star power on the blue line. Ryan Johansen, Scott Hartnell and Brandon Saad are all nice offensive players but they don’t supplant Panarin, Dubois and the defensive all-stars on the current roster.
The 2011-2012 team looks good on paper, until you dive deeper. A team featuring Jeff Carter, Derick Brassard, Rick Nash, a then-respected RJ Umberger and Antoine Vermette to go with Atkinson and Johansen sounds scary but turned out just 65 points for last in the Metro. Even if you think Jack Johnson and James Wisniewski made a decent top pairing on D, there was no Sergei Bobrovsky in net.
You can dig back into the days of all-stars Ray Whitney or name-famous Espen Knutsen but you’ll have a near impossible time trying to match 2018-2019’s talent up and down the lines. At no point in the history of the Columbus Blue Jackets has there been this close to equal amount of skill across the three position groups.
Another year together for the NHL’s most youthful franchise should equate to on ice success and another playoff appearance. It’s becoming clear that Jarmo and company have done a phenomenal job assembling this skilled team.
Next: CBJ's Top 5 Games in 2017-2018
Next steps include, keeping the breadth of talent paid and in Columbus. Then, finding a way to turn all that promise into real Stanley Cup potential.