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Columbus Blue Jackets: Union and Blue 18-19 NHL Predictions

By Lansing Murphy

COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 23: Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Nick Foligno (71) celebrates after scoring a goal during game 6 in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on April 23, 2018. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 23: Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Nick Foligno (71) celebrates after scoring a goal during game 6 in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on April 23, 2018. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Union and Blue staff predicts how the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the entire NHL, will finish this year.

HOCKEY IS BACK! The NHL season officially starts today and it feels like taking a swim after wandering through a dry, hot desert for months. Hopes are high for all teams as the season begins and that is no less true for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Certainly questions swirl around Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky‘s future with the team but all of that distraction will go away, at least for a few hours, once the team takes the ice on Thursday night.

With the season starting the Union and Blue staff put together a list of our league wide predictions. From playoff teams to Calder Trophy winners, we predict what will happen in the league this season.

Let’s start with the predictions that are most likely to be obliterated by December. Those of course would come from yours truly.

Eastern Conference Playoff Teams

Atlantic

  1. Tampa Bay Lightning
  2. Toronto Maple Leafs
  3. Florida Panthers
  4. Boston Bruins

Metropolitan

  1. Pittsburgh Penguins
  2. Columbus Blue Jackets
  3. Philadelphia Flyers
  4. Washington Capitals

Eastern Conference Finals: Pittsburgh Penguins over Tampa Bay Lightning

Western Conference Playoff Team

Central

  1. Winnipeg Jets
  2. St. Louis Blues
  3. Nashville Predators
  4. Dallas Stars

Pacific

  1. San Jose Sharks
  2. Vegas Golden Knights
  3. Calgary Flames
  4. Edmonton Oilers

Western Conference Finals: Winnipeg Jets over the Calgary Flames

Stanley Cup Champions: Winnipeg Jets over the Pittsburgh Penguins

Presidents’ Trophy: San Jose Sharks

Hart: Connor McDavid, Edmonton

Calders: Elias Pettersson, Vancouver

Norris: P.K. Subban, Nashville

Vezina: Jake Allen, St. Louis

Related Story. 18-19 Metro Preview. light

Let’s see how Will Espy thinks the season will play out.

Eastern Conference Playoff Teams

Atlantic

  1. Toronto Maple Leafs
  2. Tampa Bay Lightning
  3. Boston Bruins

Metropolitan

  1. Washington Capitals
  2. Pittsburgh Penguins
  3. Columbus Blue Jackets
  4. New Jersey Devils
  5. Philadelphia Flyers

Eastern Conference Finals: Toronto Maple Leafs over the Pittsburgh Penguins

Western Conference Playoff Team

Central

  1. Winnipeg Jets
  2. Dallas Stars
  3. Nashville Predators
  4. Chicago Blackhawks

Pacific

  1. San Jose Sharks
  2. Vegas Golden Knights
  3. Edmonton Oilers
  4. Los Angeles Kings

Western Conference Finals: Vegas Golden Knights over the Nashville Predators

Stanley Cup Champions: Toronto Maple Leafs over the Vegas Golden Knights

Presidents’ Trophy: Washington Capitals

Hart: Patrik Laine, Winnipeg

Calders: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Montreal

Norris: Seth Jones, Columbus

Vezina: Braden Holtby, Washington

What say you Steven Kenworthy?

Eastern Conference Playoff Teams

More from Union and Blue

Atlantic

  1. Tampa Bay Lightning
  2. Boston Bruins
  3. Toronto Maple Leafs
  4. Florida Panthers

Metropolitan

  1. Columbus Blue Jackets
  2. Washington Capitals
  3. Pittsburgh Penguins
  4. Philadelphia Flyers

Eastern Conference Finals: Columbus Blue Jackets over the Tampa Bay Lightning

Western Conference Playoff Teams

Central

  1. Winnipeg Jets
  2. Nashville Predators
  3. St. Louis Blues
  4. Dallas Stars

Pacific

  1. Vegas Golden Knights
  2. San Jose Sharks
  3. Los Angeles Kings
  4. Anaheim Ducks

Western Conference Finals: Nashville Predators over the Vegas Golden Knights

Stanley Cup Champions: Columbus Blue Jackets over the Nashville Predators

Presidents’ Trophy: Winnipeg Jets

Hart: Connor McDavid, Edmonton

Calder: Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina

Norris: Erik Karlsson, San Jose

Vezina: Pekka Rinne, Nashville

How does our newest contributor, Jason-Scott Greenberg, see the year going?

Eastern Conference Playoff Teams

Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets /

Columbus Blue Jackets

Atlantic

  1. Toronto Maple Leafs
  2. Tampa Bay Lightning
  3. Boston Bruins
  4. Florida Panthers

Metropolitan

  1. Washington Capitals
  2. Pittsburgh Penguins
  3. Philadelphia Flyers
  4. Columbus Blue Jackets

Eastern Conference Finals: Toronto Maple Leafs over the Pittsburgh Penguins

Western Conference Playoff Teams

Central

  1. Winnipeg Jets
  2. Nashville Predators
  3. St. Louis Blues
  4. Colorado Avalanche

Pacific

  1. San Jose Sharks
  2. Los Angeles Kings
  3. Vegas Golden Knights
  4. Calgary Flames

Western Conference Finals: Winnipeg Jets over the San Jose Sharks

Stanley Cup Champions: Winnipeg Jets over the Toronto Maple Leafs

Presidents’ Trophy: San Jose Sharks

Hart: Erik Karlsson, San Jose

Calder: Elias Pettersson, Vancouver

Norris: Erik Karlsson, San Jose

Vezina: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg

Some interesting notes from out predictions.

  • Everyone has the Winnipeg Jets winning the Central Division.
  • Everyone but Steven Kenworthy has the San Jose Sharks winning the Pacific. Two of us have them winning the Presidents’ trophy.
  • 11 out of a possible 16 playoff teams are consensus teams including the Columbus Blue Jackets.
  • Jason and Lansing think the Cup heads back to Canada for the first time in 26 years.

What are your predictions for the 2018-2019 NHL season? What predictions are we going to be dead wrong on? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter!

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