Did Blue Jackets do enough to take step forward in 2024-25?

The Blue Jackets were one of the most active teams last summer, acquiring Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson to bolster their blue line and drafting Adam Fantilli third overall after a nightmarish 2022-23 season. They also tabbed Mike Babcock to be their next head coach, kicking off months of off-ice instability that contributed to Columbus staying well below the playoff demarcation line with a 66-point campaign in 2023-24.

Before they could improve on the ice, the Blue Jackets had to name the pillars that will lead the team out of its rebuild. They’ve done so now, naming Don Waddell to take over as general manager after Jarmo Kekalainen was canned in February and bringing in Dean Evason to succeed Pascal Vincent as head coach, the latter of whom struggled in the post after unexpectedly taking over for Babcock before the season began.

But unlike last summer, the Jackets were mostly silent on both the trade and UFA markets aside from one name. That’s Sean Monahan, who they signed to a five-year, $27.5M deal with one goal in mind – reignite Johnny Gaudreau. The two were an elite duo together during their days with the Flames, and in their younger years, helped each other to career-best seasons in 2018-19.

Gaudreau has struggled in Columbus since signing a seven-year, $68.25M contract in free agency in 2022, producing below expectations with 33 goals and 101 assists for 134 points in 161 games. He was over a point per game in his career before signing with the Jackets. 

Monahan, meanwhile, is on the upswing after seemingly beating the injury bug. His 26 goals and 59 points split between the Canadiens and Jets last season were his most since his career-high 34 goals and 82 points centering Gaudreau in Calgary five years ago.

Of course, there’s still one major box Waddell still needs to check off. 

A Patrik Laine trade is more inevitable than ever after the winger exited the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in July. But Waddell told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch that talks are moving at a snail’s pace, no doubt influenced by Laine’s rich $8.7M cap hit through the next two seasons. The sniper was a point-per-game player in Columbus as recently as three years ago, but injuries and his stay in the assistance program limited him to just 18 appearances last season.

To round out their roster, Columbus also brought in an old friend in veteran defenseman Jack Johnson to help stabilize the bottom pair. He played in parts of seven seasons with the Jackets, where he was a top-pairing fixture from 2012 to 2018. His 16 points and +15 rating with the Avalanche last season were both his best single-season totals since departing Columbus.

They’ll also likely get the first taste of Denton Mateychuk in the NHL. The 2022 12th-overall pick will be turning pro in the fall after a banner 2023-24 campaign that saw him win a Western Hockey League championship with the Moose Jaw Warriors, leading the playoffs with 19 assists in 20 games en route to being named the postseason MVP. His 75 points (17 G, 58 A) in 52 regular-season games with a +35 rating also earned him the Bill Hunter Trophy for the league’s top defenseman.

But aside from Evason and Monahan, the Jackets look nearly identical to how they finished last season, at least in terms of pieces projected to have a significant impact. Nine of their 10 leading scorers from last season are still rostered, save for Alexandre Texier. He was traded to the Blues in June.

No one is expecting the Blue Jackets to be playoff contenders this year, but it will be an important culture-setting season for the team as it attempts to return to relevancy. Part of that will be a significant bump in the standings, but even a 15-20 point increase from last year wouldn’t bring them within spitting distance of a playoff spot. Still, it would be an important step forward for the Blue Jackets’ young core as they begin to graduate from prospects to full-fledged NHLers.