It's time for a popular annual tradition here at Union and Blue, as we present our five bold predictions for the upcoming Blue Jackets season.
Last season, this team took a lot of the league by surprise, finishing as one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL and battling for a playoff spot until the last day of the regular season. As a result, only the positive predictions we made last fall came true. We'll take that!
This year, there is real reason for optimism in Columbus, and our own predictions reflect the expectation that this team should be on the rise. The 2025-26 season should be a fun one as the team sets its sights on the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2020. Hopefully, our positivity takes off, because some of these are very optimistic.
Bold prediction #1: Isac Lundestrom sets career highs across the board and becomes one of the best UFA signings from this summer.
Here at U&B, we're very excited about the addition of Isac Lundestrom. So much so that I don't believe this prediction from our own Mike Stump is even that far fetched.
Signed two a 2-year deal by Don Waddell, Isac seems like the perfect addition to the bottom six of the Blue Jackets.
Originally a first round pick of the Anaheim Ducks (#23 overall) at the NHL Draft, Lundestrom debuted in the NHL the very next season. The Ducks eased him into the NHL with a combined 71 games through his first three years, then were rewarded with what seemed like a breakout campaign in his first full season in the the league.
That year (2021-22), he scored 16 goals and 29 points in 80 games, finishing tied for 9th on the team in overall scoring. Since then, the Ducks had him buried on their fourth line, with minutes that can only be called heavily defensive.
Over the last few years, he's quietly developed into a very good shutdown center while playing in that role. Last season, he finished with just 4 goals and 15 points in 79 games, but it's his -12 that stands out to me.
That's because he started more than 81% of his shifts in the defensive zone, often against top competition while playing for a team that finished -42 on the season.
From a simply defensive and depth standpoint, if he can just play at that level, this is a solid pickup by the Jackets. But, we think he can rediscover some of that untapped offensive potential with a fresh start on a team that is a little bit further along in its rebuild.
That would mean more than 16 goals and 30 points this season. These numbers are very attainable for a guy who should quickly earn trust, settle into the fourth line, and play some penalty killing minutes for Dean Evason.
On the next slide, we get a little bit bolder with our predictions.