Now that the NHL Draft and the main part of free agency are over, it's easier to start looking at what the 2025-26 season might hold for teams around the league. Today, we'll kick off a two part series and begin with the glass-half-full perspective. Here are 5 reasons why the Columbus Blue Jackets will be better next season.
There aren't many major changes to the CBJ lineup, but they have added some depth up front. Particularly down the middle, which is the main reason we're optimistic right now.
1. Center depth is better than ever.
One thing the Blue Jackets have struggled with since their very first season in the league: center depth. They have long searched for that elusive top line center. To that point, they've often searched for a lineup containing a #2 center, and at times a #3 and #4 center. The position has been mostly neglected throughout their existence.
This summer, that position has been given the attention it needs. For the first time in their history, it feels like they've found a true superstar #1 center in Adam Fantilli. He's still learning, but he looked to be finding his way late last season, evidenced by his 24 goals in the team's final 44 games last season.
If "Mo" isn't ready to take the lead on the top line, that's fine. They can let him simmer a little more with sheltered minutes because Sean Monahan did a fantastic job leading the way last year. He can continue to do so, eating up the opposition's top defensive matchups and freeing up space for everyone else. After having his contract criticized by most analysts last summer, he proved to be one of the best value UFAs in the entire league.
Outside of the top two lines, they have even more support. Cole Sillinger will be back as a promising piece of the team's bottom six. Charlie Coyle was acquired to take faceoffs on the right side, and he should also be able to help this team's third line score more next year. He's a big, strong veteran of 950 career NHL games, and should at the very least be a massive upgrade over Sean Kuraly.
Don Waddell went one step further and added Isac Lundestrom to the mix, signing the UFA to a two-year contract on July 1st. I think he's a sneaky good add. At the very least, he's an extremely responsible two-way player who can solidify the fourth line. But, I think there's also some untapped offensive potential here. Isac feels like a real good player to take a gamble on.
Also returning are guys like Boone Jenner and Dmitri Voronkov, who have spent time on the wings but can play down the middle if needed. This means the Blue Jackets will have at least 7 players on their opening night roster who can play center. I don't think it's up for much debate that this is the deepest this team has ever been at this position.
It may be the most important position in today's game; so there's a good chance that this depth alone will make them harder to play against next season. But, it's up to the coaching staff to play everyone in the right situations. Which leads us to our next reason why the team will improve...