5 Columbus Blue Jackets Who Can Break 50 Points this Season

Breaking the 50 point mark in the NHL at this day in age is a big accomplishment. Who are the 5 most likely Columbus Blue Jackets to accomplish it this year?

Last year the Columbus Blue Jackets only had two players break the 50 point mark on the season. This year though will be an entirely different story.

In 2017-2018 the Jackets power play was historically bad. Along with some critical injuries to Zach Werenski and Cam Atkinson, a large chunk of the Jackets’ offensive firepower was sidlined or not at 100%.

This year though should be a different story.

The Jackets power play will regress to at least an average conversion rate this year. That will lead to close to 15 more goals and about 25 more assist.

The Jackets also should just be a better team than they did last season, both offensively and defensively. The Jackets had three players within ten points of 50 and this year I believe at least five will reach that milestone in the 2018-2019 season.

Who are these scoring threats? Let’s take a look.

Artemi Panarin

Ya, this one was pretty obvious. Last year’s most productive player for the Columbus Blue Jackets should be just as deadly. As long as he is with the Jackets, he will be a 50 point scorer yet again.

Panarin set the Blue Jackets franchise scoring record for a single season last year with 82 points. The Russian forward had 52 assist alone last year, easily putting him over the impressive 50 point threshold.

There is no reason to believe that this year won’t be another season of dominate scoring. Panarin will once again be a top unit power play forward, which should be vastly improved. He will average 20 plus minutes a game along side two other great scoring forwards in Cam Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois which should help Panarin post close to his record setting 55 assist from last year.

The big question of course is will Panarin score 50 points in Columbus alone, or will that production be spread across two franchises. We may not have that answer until the depths of winter at the trade deadline.

Whether with Columbus all season or with half the season spent in Ohio and the other elsewhere, you can take Artemi Panarin scoring 50 points to the bank.

Seth Jones and Zach Werenski

Last year the dynamic duo of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski combined for 94 points in what was a great season scoring wise for the two. That total is only going to go up now that Zach Werenski won’t be playing a full season with a torn labrum that hampered him.

Z still managed to finish the year with the second most goals for a defenseman in the NHL at the age of 20. He was tied for second with 16 goals last season with his defensive partner Seth Jones.

With Z injured, Jones took over the role of top unit power play quarterback and racked up 57 points. Jones is just hitting his stride as an offensive defenseman and will be a perennial 50 plus point scorer. This year, with a revamped power play, I expect that number to creep over 60 for Jones.

Werenski will have a harder time breaking 50 threshold but it is certainly doable. 37 points last season with a torn labrum is very impressive. Another year of experience and a healthy shoulder should be enough to take him over 50 points though.

These two are the definition of the modern NHL defenseman that can both dominate their own end and drive offense for their team. Expect them both to break 50 points this year.

Oliver Bjorkstrand

This may come to a surprise to NHL fans that don’t keep a close eye on the Columbus Blue Jackets, but to the faithful, this should be expected.

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Even though Oliver Bjorkstrand only has one full season under his belt and a career total of 61 points, he is primed for a 50 point year. Last season, Bjork quietly amassed 40 points in his rookie season without anyone really making much of a fuss.

Last year Bjorkstrand’s scoring numbers, although impressive, were held back by an unusally low shooting percentage. Bjork only converted on 6.7% of his shots. A low mark for such a gifted player. That number will certainly return to around the 10% mark this season which, all else being equal, would give Bjrokstrand another six goals on his season total.

This year he will be on the second line along with an improved Alexander Wennberg and Nick Foligno. He will also be a second unit power play member with the opportunity to float up to the top unit if someone struggles.

These factors combined with another year of experience should give the 23-year-old the opportunities to increase his scoring totals to at least 50 points.