Lineup hole #2: a shutdown defenseman (or two?).
The best season in Blue Jackets franchise history was the 2016-17 season. That year, they won 50 games for the first (and only, so far) time in franchise history. They finished with 108 points, fourth best in the league. They did it all in a year where their leading scorer had 62 points.
What made that team so good? They knew how to defend. John Tortorella was not going to let this team slack off in the defensive zone. He made the game plan simple, and leaned on each and every player to make a difference on that side of the puck. What happened was really unexpected.
Jack Johnson and David Savard became the best shutdown tandem in the entire NHL. Yes, the same Jack Johnson we saw patrolling the blue line for the Jackets this season. Savard finished with a +33 rating, one off the league lead - in spite of the fact that he scored only 23 points on the season.
The two would remain together for a few years and have their ups and downs. But, the reality of this situation is that since Savard was traded away in 2021, the Jackets have not had a true shutdown defense pairing. In the four years since, they surrendered 300, 330, 300, and 268 goals against - a total of 1,198 in 328 games (3.65 per game).
To make the leap into the playoffs next season, they have to surrender fewer goals. In my opinion, an overhaul of the blue line is much needed because they have good players here; but too many of them are offensive minded puck movers. Denton Mateychuk is included in that list, but he has shown a penchant for defensive zone play as well. I can see him being effective in a shutdown role, with a more defensive minded partner.
Should the team bring back Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro, adding a defenseman is going to be very hard to do. For this reason, I think they may be wise to choose one or the other; and try to use some of their prospects and picks to find someone who can take on a shutdown role. Preferably, on the right side, in lieu of another guy whose situation needs clarity:
Werenski - Fabbro/Provorov
Mateychuk - ???
Christiansen - Gudbranson
If they can add another stay at home guy and move Christiansen into the 7th defenseman role, I think they would be in pretty good shape here. Just one more major hole to fill in this lineup...
Lineup hole #3: a goaltender.
Yes, we're going hard at this team's goaltending situation again. Jet Greaves is going to take on a bigger role within the organization next year, and we are excited to see what he can do over the course of a full season. But, does this team really feel comfortable with Elvis Merzlikins as the other part of the tandem?
Honestly, the answer to that question probably rests on the shoulders of Merzlikins himself. If he's willing to accept more of a split in the crease and be a good teammate, I think that's a serviceable enough pair - especially if the team improves its defense. But, if he wants to throw the "I'm not going to be the backup" card...
Let's just say, at that point, it would be time to cut ties and find someone who is a better fit in this situation. They don't need to go out and find a Sergei Bobrovsky or Connor Hellebuyck, as nice as that would be. They just need a guy who can come in and make the saves whenever called upon, and be a good mentor for the young Greaves. A true tandem, where either guy could go on any given night.
I really believe that if the Jackets can find these three or four (if you're adding two defensemen) pieces, they can get over that playoff hump next season. In fact, if everyone comes back just as hungry and Waddell bolsters this lineup as he should, the sky is the limit here. It's an exciting time to be a Blue Jackets fan.