Ten years ago, the Columbus Blue Jackets surprised the NHL by riding hot goaltending and quality depth to a 108-point season. It was the first time in the franchise's history that they had broken the 100-point threshold. Aside from a surprise sweep of the favourite Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018-19, that stands as the high-water mark for the club. They have never progressed past the second round and haven't made the postseason since 2019-20.
A Perpetual State of Building
Columbus isn't really considered a rebuilding club, in that they just seem to be perpetually…building. And, even with another six straight seasons of being on the outside looking in, the Blue Jackets still don't seem to be any closer to becoming a contender. While teams used to point to the Buffalo Sabres as the reason not to rebuild (before their breakout season this year), the Columbus Blue Jackets might be the true disaster scenario general managers and owners fear.
Why Can't They Build a Winner?
The core issue lies in their inability to develop talent. Since 2020, Columbus has picked inside the top-10 four times, and inside the top-15 seven times. That includes Kent Johnson at fifth overall, Adam Fantilli at third, David Jiricek at sixth, and Cayden Lindstrom at fourth.
Arguably, the best player of that seven-player cohort so far is Fantilli, who put together a respectable 59-point season. That's pretty good for a 21-year-old in the NHL, but it's a far cry from the star scouts thought they were getting in the 2023 draft. Fantilli's results in the USHL and college hockey as a teenager were remarkable, similar to Macklin Celebrini at the same age. He was frequently mentioned as a first overall talent that year (ultimately Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson went first and second). The club promoted Fantilli directly to the NHL, where he has thus far topped out as…pretty good.
Pattern of Stagnation
This is a similar pattern seen across many of their recent high-end prospects. A quick injection into the show, where the player either plateaus or flounders. Cole Sillinger was picked 12th overall in 2022, one spot ahead of Matt Coronato. He made the NHL immediately and became a middle rotation, 30-point center and nothing more. Kent Johnson, picked in the same draft, spent one more season in college before being shifted to the NHL. His development has been uneven at best, with a 57-point season in 2024-25 followed by a disastrous 22-point effort this past year. He is now considered trade fodder and a reclamation project.
David Jiricek, drafted in 2022, split time between the NHL and AHL for a couple of seasons before being declared a bust and moved for a package to Minnesota. Lindstrom is their most recent top-five pick (drafted in 2024), but he is already trending toward bust territory after a terrible season in college and a career marred by significant injuries.
Lack of Homegrown Stars
Although the Blue Jackets have been bad for a half-decade (and have never spent time amongst the league's contender class), their list of homegrown stars is shockingly short. Zach Werenski is a legitimate superstar, but he was drafted in 2015. Jakub Voracek (2007) and Rick Nash (2002) are perhaps the only other two guys you can add to the star list, and they're both retired.
