Cleveland Monsters successful playoff run falls short, but will still be a huge lesson for future Blue Jackets

Every player on the Cleveland roster was probably left with a bitter taste in their mouths after game 7. That could be the fuel that drives them to be better next year and beyond.

Of all of the Blue Jacket prospects that saw their seasons ended on Wednesday night, I think it's safe to say that the majority of them will be back in Cleveland next season. That means that the Monsters will come into next season with more experience overall.

That's the beauty behind this whole run. They were a really young roster this season, with a lot of key players on the roster entering the league for their first or second seasons. Outside of Jiricek, who almost certainly plays in the NHL next year; I believe only Mateychuk, Greaves, and Malatesta have legitimate shots at cracking the Blue Jacket roster full-time.

And, even those last three guys mentioned are going to have their work cut out for them to play in the NHL next season. What this all means is, the Monsters will have a talented, hungry team next year; one that knows what it takes to compete at the highest level in the AHL. They could be a real force in that league next year.

Most importantly, what the young future Blue Jackets are learning, is what it takes to be a champion at the professional level.

Something to remember: hockey players don't get paid to play postseason hockey, and I think a lot of people would be surprised to know that minor league hockey teams can fail in the playoffs for that very reason. Some guys just don't care.

This young group of Monsters showed that they had the will to succeed. That's the kind of seed that needs to be planted within an organization for it to have greater success. At some point, players have to show that burning desire to win.

The prospects in Cleveland not only showed that desire this year - they probably learned a lot from losing, and will have an even greater desire moving ahead.

This is why it's important to have a strong organization, built from the foundation up. The Blue Jackets could reap benefits from this kind of playoff run for many years to come. We've never seen this franchise remain this patient with their prospects - and now we're starting to see what the future in Columbus could really be.