Legendary NFL head coach Bill Parcells is attributed with the saying “you are what your record says you are”.
After 12 games, it's hard to disagree with Mr. Parcells. The Columbus Blue Jackets are what their record says it is, and their record says they stink.
The club is in the basement of the NHL standings with a 3-9-0 record. According to some services, their playoff odds are the lowest in the league, and slightly higher (though still under 1%) in others. In their nine losses, the club has yet to lose by just one or two goals - losses nonetheless, but at least an indication that a heartbeat pulsed in the third period of a game. They've currently lost five games in a row, being outscored 28-8 in that timeframe. Miraculously, they've managed to not even hold a lead once in that five-game stretch. Not even accidentally for a moment were they the team dictating the game. Incredible.
There are still 70 daunting games left on the schedule. I've already written about what I expect from the rest of the season, and don't feel a need to recapitulate that here. Instead, this is about framing expectations for the weathered viewer of this God-forsaken team. But first, let me just say that I will never judge a fan for being a fan, and I certainly won't tell you - or anyone - how to behave, spend money and time on this team, etc.
But I would strongly urge you to consider the somewhat controversial/unvirtuous practice of embracing (competitive) losses.
The 2023 NHL Draft is absolutely loaded at the top of the heap. Connor Bedard has been pegged as a generational player since he was 15, and has done nothing since to slow down that momentum. Adam Fantilli is probably the best NCAA freshman draft-eligible prospect since Jack Eichel. Matvei Michkov is a slippery KHL player that looks to be next in the line of dynamic Russian NHLers. And Leo Carlsson is a 6'3" center who is dominating the SHL as a 17-year-old.
It's not a coincidence that the top NHL teams were once hot garbage. It's practically a rite of passage to suffer and accumulate top-of-the-draft picks. All jokes about suffering aside, the Blue Jackets have never tanked. It's actually quite remarkable that they've managed to be a below-average team for so many years of their existence without really committing to the bit. It's about time that a bad Blue Jackets team lines up with a high-end top-of-the-draft.
Our Ed Francis recently posted the below poll on Twitter. The results are virtually 50/50, signaling the fanbase's reluctance to throw in the proverbial towel. I respect that.
A little #CBJ Would You Rather?
— CBJ Stats (@BlueJacketStats) November 6, 2022
How would you like this season to play out?
A) Finish with one of the worst records in the league and have a reasonable chance at Connor Bedard.
B) Right the ship, finish in the 85-95 point range, be in a fight for a playoff spot.
Some say that tanking is unethical or somehow immoral, as though the point of professional sports is to make the most friends along the way. I think this argument is particularly naive. The players aren't trying to lose. The coaches aren't trying to lose. Hell, in this instance, even management isn't trying to lose. Still, fans don't want to spend their money (and time) to watch the team they root for lose. I get that. But at a certain point, isn't the difference between a disappointing season (option B) far inferior to a slightly more disappointing season (option A)?
I asked a question similar to Ed's on this very site's poll years ago. "Should the Blue Jackets have tanked for a shot at Connor McDavid in 2014-15?". Small sample size, sure, but 56% of respondents said no. To those people, I would ask if they sleep better at night knowing the Blue Jackets played the 'right way', winning 12 of 13 meaningless games in the spring of 2015 to take away any chance of landing a bonafide superstar. It didn't matter, in the end, but can you imagine if it did? Sure, Zach Werenski is a nice player, but c'mon.
The 2022-23 Blue Jackets have been a massive disappointment. The season isn't over, but, mathematically speaking, the sun has all but set. So, what will their legacy be? A disappointing team that won just enough games to stay on the periphery of the league?
Yeah, I'm out on that. Embrace the tank.
