Defensive, offensive improvements begin long upward haul for Blue Jackets

By Jim den Hollander
Editor/Publisher
Midwesthockey.info

This is the second of five summer review/preview type stories on the NHL’s Midwest-based NHL teams.
The Columbus Blue Jackets may still be a few years away from breaking back through the NHL’s playoff window but they should show a marked improvement this season.
The Jackets fell hard last season, a season ending record of 25-48-9 for 59 points was 12 losses and 22 points shy of its sixth place showing the previous season.

The fixes need to come in virtually every area as the Columbus scored just 214 goals, ranked 30th in the league behind only the 209 scored by the Ducks and 204 by the Hawks. Defensively, the Jackets surrendered 330 goals, ranking them 31st in the league just eight goals better than the Ducks.
Sights are set further up the standings and Jarmo Kekalainen, the team’s General Manager began the job of improving with some nice defensive additions from trade and a young center drafted third overall that gives the team a little more balance at center, perhaps the team’s weakest position.
The Blue Jackets improved its defense with a pair of major trades. On June 6, Ivan Provorov was added for one of the team’s two first round picks in a whacky three-team deal involving both the LA Kings and Philadelphia Flyers. Technically, the Flyers traded Provorov to the Kings for players and picks while the Jackets acquired Kevin Connauton from the Flyers for the first round pick and a conditional second round pick in either 2024 or ’25. The second part of the trade saw the Jackets trading Connauton to the Kings for Provorov.
Provorov has seen his production dip and the 6’1″ 201 pound defender played in all 82 games this past season, counting six goals and 27 points.
Three days later, the Jackets gave up a third round pick for Damon Severson, a 10-year NHL vet defender who has stuck with the New Jersey Devils since being selected by the team in the second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
This past season Severson counted seven goals and 33 points. Over his 647 career NHL games, the defenseman has collected 58 goals and 263 points.
Add to that a healthy Zach Werenski who should be back from an injury filled 2022-23 campaign limiting him to just 13 games played.
Part of the deal for Severson saw him signing an eight-year contract, likely carrying him to — or near — his retirement as he turns 29 on Aug. 7.
Those additions along with what should be a turnaround season for goaltender Elvis Merzlikins who endured his least successful season to date in his 30 appearances last season, should help the Jackets reduce goals against substantially in the upcoming season unless injuries play a part again.
The selection of Adam Fantilli third overall in the NHL Entry Draft this summer along with Cole Sillinger, a first round (12th overall) pick in 2021 should boost the team at center, perhaps the weakest position for the team previously.
Sillinger is entering his third NHL season with 19 goals and 42 points so far, although his offense took a bit of a dip this past season.
Fantilli won gold at both the World Juniors and World Championships this season and led the way on a powerful University of Michigan team with 30 goals and 65 points in just 36 games.
The prospect of playing on a line with either or both of Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau could see Fantilli enjoying a big rookie campaign.
After making a big splash in the trade market, the Blue Jackets have been quiet on the free-agent front. The lone unsigned player as of today is defenseman Tim Berni, a 23-year-old defenseman from Mannedort, Switzerland who enters his third professional season. He has played 59 games in Columbus with a goal and three points and 89 games in Cleveland with four goals and 19 points.
The Jackets sit with a little under $5 million in cap space available with 21 of 23 roster players signed.

The 2023-24 Columbus Blue Jackets Training Camp is scheduled to start Sept. 21 and the team will open the regular season Oct. 12 with its first of four straight season opening home games, against the Philadelphia Flyers.