Blue Jackets Face Biggest Test of Season

The Columbus Blue Jackets are facing the biggest test of their season as they approach the 60-game mark of the regular season. With all of the heartache and struggle off-ice the Blue Jackets have endured, they've become one of the easiest teams to root for as they try to secure a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Among the most pleasant surprises for the Blue Jackets this year was the development of forward Kirill Marchenko. He's been the team's best offensive player this year as he worked his way into the top-25 in league scoring. Unfortunately for both Marchenko and the Jackets, a puck struck him in the face and fractured his jaw. The rising star forward underwent surgery on his jaw and is expected to miss somewhere between four and eight weeks.

The injury to Marchenko is a crushing blow to his breakout season, and now forces the Blue Jackets into the biggest challenge they've faced all year. The 24-year-old winger has netted at least 20 goals in each of his first two NHL seasons, but was reaching a new level in 2024-2025. Through the first 53 games of the season, he scored 21 goals and added 34 assists for 55 points. The assists and point totals are both already career-high numbers for the Russian-born scorer.

Now, the Jackets must find a way to replace his point-per-game average. The burden likely falls to Norris Trophy candidate Zach Werenski, who is in the top-3 of defensive scoring this year and is playing the best hockey of his career. His 57 points through 53 games tied his career-high total from last season, and he still has 29 games left in the regular season.

The Blue Jackets will also need a bit more out of their young forwards, who are already performing quite well. All eyes turn to 22-year-old Kent Johnson, who was the team's first round pick back in 2021. Injuries have restricted him to 39 games, but he's racked up 15 goals and 19 assists in those 39 contests. Without Marchenko, Johnson's ice-time and number of shifts will rise, and he must rise to the occassion in order to keep the upstart Blue Jackets in the playoff hunt.

The Blue Jackets' season can be defined by resilience, and this is the next challenge they must be resilient to. Losing their top winger and scoring forward could be detrimental to a team's playoff pursuit, but this Columbus team feels different. Their postseason chances surely have taken a hit, but they can still keep hold of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference if a few of their players can step their games up to alleviate the temporary absence of Kirill Marchenko.