It has been one of the hardest weeks in the history of Blue Jackets fandom. That says a lot, with all we have been through. Coincidentally, that's also why we took things so hard. We have come to expect the very worst.
From the day this franchise entered the league, they have scarcely been able to attract any star talent. We can almost count the number of superstars they have had in 25 years on one hand.
Eventually, all of them have left under less-than-ideal terms. Whether that's the franchise's first real playmaker (Ray Whitney) going inexplicably untendered, or their first big UFA signing (Adam Foote) strong-arming them into a trade on his terms; it's what we have come to expect.
The greatest player in franchise history (Rick Nash) spent his best years here, only to mercifully tell the team to trade him out of their own good. Thank goodness he did, for his sake and our own. This was just months after Jeff Carter snatched the "most hated" label from Foote, by half-assing his way into a trade to the LA Kings.
The only player to ever play here that can make a legitimate case for the Hall of Fame at this point in time (Sergei Bobrovsky), left Columbus with a bridge burning behind him-and held the door open for arguably the most talented forward (Artemi Panarin) to ever don the Union Blue with him.
With the walls crashing down, out the door were a franchise defenseman (Seth Jones), along with the team's rough-and-tumble top line center (Pierre-Luc Dubois).
You see, the only thing the 5th Line has come to expect when a star player puts on that CBJ crest for the first time: how long until he wants out? Why would we feel any differently?
As a result, we weren't surprised when Frank Seravalli and Pierre LeBrun started speculating that Zach Werenski wanted out of Central Ohio. Nor were we surprised when Kevin Weekes obliterated any hope or excitement we had during the first round of the draft, announcing that our top forward wanted out as well.
Instead, we were upset. Really upset. And why would anyone expect any differently?
This fanbase has been incredibly loyal to this team. For 26 years, our team has been the laughing stock of the NHL. When the "insiders" started speculating, almost everyone out there started to pile onto the Blue Jackets.
Of course we were upset. We're tired of this organization getting dumped on. No matter who laces up the skates and pulls that Union Blue sweater over their head, we are proud of our Blue Jackets. That is never going to change.
We will staunchly defend this organization, and anyone who wants to be here. We will do that to a fault. But we want respect. We feel like we have earned the right to demand respect. Just being in this league is not good enough for the 5th Line.
We're sorry, Zach.
The main purpose of this article is to mend the fence with Zach Werenski. A lot of people in the 5th Line were very upset over the last week. Who can blame them?
Many said some things that they likely regret, now that our beloved Norris Trophy winner has once again proclaimed his desire to remain a Blue Jacket and be part of the winning solution here. So, on behalf of the 5th Line, we would like to state clearly: we are once again here to fight for Zach Werenski.
By the time it's all said and done, he will lap every other great player to ever don the Union Blue. Even if his career falls of the face of a cliff, as long as he stays in Columbus; he will be embraced by this city and its fanbase.
Lets hope everything can be put in the past, and the organization can build something special around him.
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