In only a matter of months since the Blue Jackets' last playoff game, talks of Artemi Panarin's future have escalated drastically.
In case we forgot, a brief history lesson of the Jackets' faithful:
April 23rd: "I can't wait for next season. Panarin is going to be an All-Star and score 40."
May 30th: "He's been out of the country for a while, hasn't he?"
June 19th: "The media needs to stop blowing up all of this talk of him leaving. Not happening."
July 8th: "Oh, God. Please no."
Panarin's future beyond this upcoming season in Columbus seems up in the air - to the point where media and fan talk is not as much centered around "if" the club should trade Panarin, but more so "when" they need to deal him, and for whom exactly.
Let's just say Artemi Panarin all of a sudden falls in love with the Scioto River, and his needs are met. It's the body of water he's always desired, and the Jackets are saved.
Everyone is happy.
Which would bring us back to the question that was being asked in late April before all of this drama started to unfold: If the Blue Jackets keep their roster in-tact, do they have all of the pieces for a Stanley Cup run yet?
You'd think after 20 years as a franchise, that question would be easily answered.
However, quick playoff exits in three of the last five seasons for the Jackets have many followers uneasy about the team's postseason capabilities, all the while asking from the backseat "Are we there yet?!"
What needs changed, if anything?
Here's the biggest factors that could be holding the Jackets back from being a serious threat to make a Stanley Cup run, with their current roster:
Scoring
As much as fans yelling "SHOOOOOOOOOT" during a Jackets powerplay really motivates the players, it may not be the kind of motivation they need.
The team just may need more scorers, not more shooting.
The club had the fourth highest number of shots per game in the league last season, yet was only ranked No. 20 in scoring percentage on those shots. They were No. 17 in the league in goals scored, the second-worst of any playoff team.
Bottom line: They shot a lot, but couldn't score a lot. If the team wants to give the help that Panarin, Cam Atkinson and eventually Pierre-Luc Dubois deserve, they may want to take a look here *slips paper under Jarmo's door*.
Age
You need to be old to win a cup. Usually.
Not Jaromir Jagr old, but you gotta have some seasons under your belt to do some damage in the playoffs.
The list of teams that are tied for having the second-oldest roster in the league consist of the Washington Capitals, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Los Angeles Kings, and the San Jose Sharks.
And as you may have known, those teams make up six of the last ten teams to play in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Jackets, on the other hand, are tied for having the youngest roster in the league. Just saying.
Bobrovsky
You can't talk about the growth of the Columbus Blue Jackets over the last five seasons without mentioning this man.
He's had two Vezina trophies as a Jacket. Out of all the goalies in club history that have played in more than five games, he's the leader in save percentage, shutouts, goals against average, and wins.
He's arguably the greatest Blue Jacket of all time.
And somehow, it's becoming impossible to not see the widening difference between regular-season and postseason Bob.
You can chalk it up to more pressure, shots or even scoring chances from the opposing team, but the fact that Bobrovsky has let up at least three goals in every playoff game he's ever played while in a Jackets uniform, in four total postseasons...
...,is just becoming too hard to ignore.
In order for the Jackets to become a legitimate threat in the playoffs (and make it out of the first round even), the goaltender in net needs to have nights where he can post shutouts and be the game-changer. Bobrovsky can do this. And we hope he does.
The Blue Jackets have been a team on the rise since roughly 2013, and it's seemed that their window for a championship has been open ever since.
What will it take for them to fully jump through?
