The Columbus Blue Jackets ended 2024 with a bang, a feel-good win over the playoff-bound Carolina Hurricanes.
And as the calendar flips to 2025, there is genuine momentum, and dare I say optimism, about the immediate future of the organization. How many times have we been compelled to prematurely turn the page on the season, look ahead to the draft, and ultimately to the next season? More than most, this fanbase is accustomed to hearing about shiny prospects in a faraway land, and a hopeful tomorrow.
And while that long-term optimism still pervades, 2025 can be welcomed with eyes on a playoff push. Earlier this week, Will Chase wrote about a handful of nuggets illustrating what has allowed this team to climb to the outskirts of a playoff berth. Here are three reasons why the Blue Jackets have earned this opportunity:
Zach Werenski On Norris Trophy Short-List
After an obviously difficult offseason, Zach Werenski has taken the mantle of leader and best player and run with it. It could not be more clear that he is the team's undisputed go-to player. As Chase mentioned, the power play is clicking at its best clip in a literal decade, and I wonder how much of that can be distilled to Werenski simply being the go-to option, and not 'just' the quarterback.
As we near the mid-point, no question #CBJ Zach Werenski deserves Norris Trophy consideration:
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) January 1, 2025
Among NHL D, he's tied for 1st in goals (11), 4th in assists (29), 3rd in points (40), 2nd in power-play points (18).
He leads NHL in ice time (26:24) and is 5th in shots on goal (145).
Aside from his on-ice play, his recent critique of Patrik Laine's comments shows a willingness to step into a more vocal leadership role for a team that desperately needed it.
A Major Step From Young Players
Kirill Marchenko (24), Dmitri Voronkov (24), Kent Johnson (22), Adam Fantilli (20), Cole Sillinger (21), and Denton Mateychuk (20) played key roles in the team's most recent win.
- Marchenko, in particular, has evolved from 'nice middle-six winger' to 'first-line star winger' in the past calendar year and is on pace to challenge for the club's all-time single-season points record.
- Voronkov is something of a unicorn, and while he's not a perfect player, his huge frame and high-end hands should allow him to be a perennial 25-goal guy, and a staple on PP1.
- Fantilli has had some growing pains this year, but his star is still plenty bright, and at 20, there's no reason for anything but confidence.
- Sillinger has settled into a nice role as a middle-six center who can win draws and play a responsible, mature game.
- Johnson was the club's most dynamic player at the start of the season, and while he's cooled a bit, he's still nearly a point-per-game player. His growth has been, arguably, the best story of the season to date.
- Mateychuk has come right into a top-four pair and looked comfortable. His effortless skating and natural hockey sense have made for a seamless fit in Dean Evason's system.
Yes, the future is bright, but so is the present.
Cohesion Throughout the Organization
Evason deserves plenty of credit for having this team ready to play (most nights), and the roster has responded well to a system that genuinely seems to play to its strengths. But perhaps more than anyone, GM Don Waddell deserves a ton of credit for simply quieting the noise - and man, was there plenty - around the organization. He, and by virtue, the organization, deftly navigated through some incomprehensibly difficult circumstances this offseason, correctly moved on from a slew of oft-unavailable players, and even shipped out David Jiricek before it became too much of a distraction.
The calendar reads 2025, and for the first time in a long time, the Blue Jackets are playing meaningful games in the new year, and the fanbase has reason to talk about the here and now, here and now.
