The most exciting story in the NHL this season is the Buffalo Sabres, turning around a lost season to put themselves in the driver’s seat to snap a 14-season playoff drought. A candidate for the second-best story is the Columbus Blue Jackets. Like the Sabres, they made a change midseason that helped them turn things around with the Rick Bowness hire, getting the most out of the group while requiring minimal changes otherwise.
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Also, like the Sabres, a lot more went into the turnaround than just the midseason change. With the Blue Jackets playing great across the board, they look like the best team in the Metropolitan Division, especially as they wrap up the weekend with four wins in a row. It’s fascinating to see how the Blue Jackets have done this and become this top team in their division and the league.
Core Players Who Can Take Over Games
Every good team needs a core to build around. To be a great team, they need star players who can take over games on any given shift. It’s why the most successful rebuilds usually involve elite talent at the top end of the roster.
The Blue Jackets have arguably the best defenseman in the NHL. Zach Werenski is dominant on both ends, and his play at the point, with 20 goals and 55 assists, stands out. Werenski becoming an elite defenseman has given the Blue Jackets a player they can lean on in all situations, and it’s given them an edge few teams in the league have.
Werenski is in the Norris Trophy conversation but of course, the Blue Jackets core is more than just him. They’ve gotten a lot out of their top six, whether it’s Kirill Marchenko, Charlie Coyle, or Adam Fantilli. Speaking of Fantilli, he’s another factor in the surge in the standings.
Adam Fantilli: The Best Young Center Nobody Knows About
Like Wyatt Johnston in the Western Conference, Adam Fantilli is a young center with that scoring touch. After scoring 31 goals last season, Fantilli is up to 21 and finding the back of the net in multiple ways.
Fantilli leads the offense with his play on the top line. Yet, this season, he’s doing more to win games. Fantilli has stepped up defensively and looked like a well-rounded two-way center. It’s what the Blue Jackets hoped he’d become when they drafted him, and in year three, he’s looking like that player.
Looking ahead, Fantilli is the type of player who can be a force in the playoffs. He can find the back of the net and do so in multiple ways, whether it’s with his shot or by getting to the crease to finish scoring chances. It’s tough to find offense in the playoffs, yet he might.
Blue Jackets Small Moves Go a Long Way
The general manager (GM) Don Waddell has built himself a reputation for making the sneaky move. He did it last year with the Dante Fabbro addition, a move that rounded out the defense and got the Blue Jackets close to the playoffs. This season, his moves are getting them over the hump and setting them up for a playoff run.
The first was the Mason Marchment trade with the Seattle Kraken before the Holiday roster freeze. With 12 goals and nine assists in 26 games, he’s added a spark to the top six that the Blue Jackets needed.
Then there was the trade deadline splash where Waddell landed Conor Garland from the Vancouver Canucks. While Garland hasn’t stood out per se, the winger has added another layer of offense, and the Blue Jackets suddenly have a forward group that comes at teams in waves.
The Blue Jackets Are Watching The Depth Step Up
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Heading into the season, the questions surrounding the Blue Jackets were about their depth and their goaltending. Early on in the season, it looked like both issues would let them down this season as well.
The depth has stepped up. Coyle’s play allows Sean Monahan and Boone Jenner to move down in the lineup and center the third and fourth lines while Denton Mateychuk has emerged as a regular at 21 years old to bolster the defense.
With Jet Greaves playing well in the net, the Blue Jackets don’t have any question marks. Instead, they are moving full season ahead to the top of the Metropolitan Division. They won’t have the best record at the end of the season, but they’ve been the team nobody wants to face based on how they’ve played.
