Most pundits predicted that the Blue Jackets would finish the 2024-2025 campaign either in 30th, 31st, or 32nd in the NHL. It’s not a surprising forecast, seeing as the Blue Jackets have been one of the worst teams in the NHL over the past 3 seasons.
On top of that, the team lost three of its top players prior to the start of the season: Patrik Laine was traded, Johnny Gaudreau tragically passed away, and Boone Jenner injured his shoulder. While the season is only one month in, the Blue Jackets seem to have other ideas than occupying the bottom of the standings.
The 2024-2025 season is 11 games in for the Blue Jackets, who currently have a record of 5-5-1. While that is only a 0.500 record and puts the team 2 points shy of a playoff spot, the overall body of work that the team has put in thus far is better than expected. At this time over the last couple of seasons, the Blue Jackets had cemented themselves in the cellar of the NHL standings.
There are a few key areas of improvement that has stood out early in this season that should give fans optimism that the team is getting better:
1. Scoring.
The Blue Jackets have scored 39 goals so far this season, which puts them 12th in the NHL in total goals. That is a significant improvement from the 2023-2024 season, where they were 24th in the NHL in total goals. The Blue Jackets are scoring 3.55 goals per game this season, which is up from 2.85 goals per game.
2. Goals Against
The Blue Jackets have given up 38 goals against this season, which is 13th in the NHL (that’s including two blowout losses vs. Winnipeg and vs. Washington). In 2023-2024, the Blue Jackets gave up 298 goals against, which was 31st in the NHL. That is a sign that the defense and goaltending is improving. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. There is still a lot to figure out on the defensive side of the ice. But the team is keeping more pucks out of the net so far this season compared to last season.
3. Penalty Kill
The Blue Jackets are killing off 80% of their opponent’s power plays this season compared to 76.3% last season. While it’s not a significant improvement, it is movement in the right direction.
4. Signs of Life on the Power Play
The Blue Jackets are converting on 17.2% of their power play chances this season compared to 15.1% last season. The power play has been abysmal for 6 or 7 seasons now. But the fact that the Blue Jackets are no longer in the bottom 5 in the NHL on the power play (they currently rank 20th), is reason for joy. The team is finally starting to improve with the man advantage.
Are the Blue Jackets perfect? No, but they are improving. Just watching the CBJ this season, you get the sense that this team is playing with structure. The young players appear to be maturing and rounding out their game. The veteran players are complementing the young players. But most of all, the team seems to be gaining some confidence, which can go a long way.
It remains to be seen if it's sustainable for a full season. Every fan wants to be in the playoffs every year. While that is still a possibility this season, the goal of this season was to show improvement and play meaningful games throughout the season. So far, the team appears to be doing just that. The hope is that the improvements are just a sign of things to come.