The Columbus Blue Jackets Have Begun To Separate Themselves At The Bottom Of The NHL Standings

The Columbus Blue Jackets enter Thursday night's affair against the Winnipeg Jets as the last-place team in the NHL. With a point (or two), they would tie the Chicago Blackhawks for 31st, and they remain just four points behind the Anaheim Ducks.

With just 28 games left, the Blue Jackets are starting to solidify themselves as a bottom-three team in the NHL. The Sharks, Canucks, and Coyotes suddenly seem further away than striking distance, and the 26th-place Montreal Canadiens (50 points) seem to be on another planet. 

Depending on your vantage point, this is either very good or very bad. While pragmatists like me have been content to see young players grow while subsequently putting themselves in position for a generational talent (and a legitimate, superstar 1C for the first time in the franchise's history, due respect to Pierre-Luc Dubois), I certainly empathize with much of the fanbase's frustrations in another lost season. 

But the reality is, thanks to the NHL's lottery system, the Blue Jackets are far from guaranteed the previously unnamed Connor Bedard, even if they were to finish in last place. However, with players like Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, Matvei Michkov, and Will Smith rounding out what could be a dynamic top-five, it's clear that finishing lower in the standings beats, well, finishing higher. 

The Blue Jackets have plenty of rope left to climb in the standings. But as the days pass, it seems more likely than ever that they'll finish in the bottom three, as the aforementioned Sharks, Canucks, and Coyotes continue to separate from the three basement-dwellers. Per Tankathon.com, the Blue Jackets have the 10th hardest strength of schedule in the NHL, whereas Chicago (20th) and Anaheim (26th) have a bit of an easier road. 

Finishing in the bottom three may sound arbitrary, but it guarantees a top-five pick. Better would be finishing with the last pick, where a top-three pick is assured.