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Columbus Blue Jackets: Where Are They Now – Marko Dano

By William Espy

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 06: Marko Dano #56 of the Columbus Blue Jackets plays in the game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on April 6, 2015 in New York, New York. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 06: Marko Dano #56 of the Columbus Blue Jackets plays in the game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on April 6, 2015 in New York, New York. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Columbus Blue Jackets drafted Marko Dano in the first round in 2013.

Marko Dano was part of the “Kid Line” with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2014-2015 and for his 35 game stint, everyone in Columbus thought he was a long term asset for the future. Then came the 2015 off-season which brought the Brandon Saad trade.

Dano only played 13 games in Chicago before winding up in his current home of Winnipeg with the Jets. He’s been with the Jets since the middle of the 2015-2016 season and since then he’s been up and down between the NHL and AHL. Last season in the NHL Dano posted a total of 3 points in 23 games.

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Oddly enough, nearly half of his NHL points came in his 35 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He put up 21 points in those 35 games and since then he’s only posted 24 points in 95 NHL games.

The former Blue Jackets winger is likely hoping to get his first shot at a long term NHL stint this season as he’s starting to get out of the prospect age range at 23 years of age. He still has time to develop, but every year that passes without a breakout season in the NHL decreases its likelihood of happening.

While things may have turned out differently if Marko Dano had stayed with the Blue Jackets, it’s beginning to look as if they had made the right decision by selling high on his value. The only remaining member of the Kid Line on the Blue Jackets is Alexander Wennberg, with Scott Hartnell being bought out a few years ago.

The Columbus Blue Jackets fans certainly miss Marko Dano, however the team has outgrown his ability and it seems like Jarmo Kekalainen did the right thing at the right time regardless of the disappointing outcome of the Brandon Saad trade in many people’s eyes.

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