How Close are the Columbus Blue Jackets to Being a Playoff Team Next Season?

How Close are the Columbus Blue Jackets to Being a Playoff Team Next Season?

It’s been a very active off season for the Columbus Blue Jackets as they look to take the next step forward. Jay Foster of Locked on Blue Jackets joins us to discuss the impact of the moves they’ve made and what needs to be done. All that and more coming up next on today’s Locked On NHL podcast. [Music] You’re Locked on NHL, your daily podcast on the National Hockey League, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Gil Martin here. Welcome everybody to the Monday episode of the Locked On NHL podcast. We are part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. I want to thank everyone who makes Locked on NHL your first listen every day. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel right now. New FanDuel customers can get $150 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. It is my pleasure to welcome back to the show the host of Locked On Blue Jackets, Jay Foster. And uh Jay, the Blue Jackets have been pretty busy this off season. What move stands out most in your mind? Yeah, it’s weird because like it feels like they haven’t done a lot and then you look at the moves and you’re actually oh no, like there’s been a lot of lot of outward movement, a lot of inward movement. Um the one move that stands out to me I think in a positive way is not really a move at all, but it’s the decision to bring Dante Fabro back. Um Zach Winsky had an incredible season obviously um and I think he deserves a lot of credit for that. However, I don’t it’s not lost on me that he had this season the first time he’s had a consistent defense partner since Seth Jones left in 2021. And I think bringing Dante Fabro back is key to keeping the Warensky at the level that he played this season. And it’s an extremely team friendly deal for 4.125 million for the next four seasons um for him to play next to Warensky who is probably going to have another you know 80 to 90 point season. So it was probably an easy decision for him to stick around. Um, but I think that that to me is the move that stands out, which is I guess the decision to not make a move and not make a change and not try to upgrade because Dante Fabro was not the best the best available UFA defenseman, right? But he was the best fit for that one that that top right defenseman spot next to Warenski. So the decision to go there instead of like upgrading somewhere else I think is is key. What about the best new edition? Best new edition. That’s that’s a tough one. Um I wasn’t sure about the trade at first because I do think the Blue Jackets gave up a lot. I am really interested to see what they get out of Charlie Coyle this season. Um he’s you know he’s it feels bad to say that he’s you know aging out of the league a little bit because he is 33 years old and that’s you know it’s no age really but in the NHL it’s you know it’s getting up there in in age. Um but he is a right shot center which the Jackets didn’t have a right shot center on the entire roster. Um he is a very very capable middle six forward. there’s a weird kind of void in the lineup right now which is who’s going to play with Adam Fantily and Kent Johnson and I think bringing in a guy like Charlie Coyle. Either he can potentially play there or they can stick him on that third line center and that frees up a guy like Cole Cinger to maybe move up. Um you know it it gives them it gives them a lot more flexibility in in the lineup. I think they are better in the bottom six than they were last season. Losing James Remsteike sucks. um like he was he was a big addition this past season and I thought he was great. I really wanted to keep him around. But I do think that the players that they brought in for the bottom six are for the most part improvements on what left. The Blue Jackets select a goalie in the first round of this year’s draft. Turns out he will not be in North America for at least four years. signs a contract with the KHL. Is this a big deal or is this something that isn’t gonna hurt this team? Straight up no. Like, yeah, I saw I’ve seen a lot of like hand ringing about this. Well, first like the first thing that’s important to know is the Blue Jackets knew about this contract extension before they drafted him. It was made official a couple of days ago, but when they drafted him, they knew he was either like either it was agreed to and he hadn’t signed yet, or that he was going to agree to it. Um, the fact of the matter is that’s just kind of how long it takes to develop a goalie, right? Even if they brought him over to North America and like threw him in the US or the CHL or like sent him to college or whatever, like it takes four to five years for a goalie to be NHL ready anyway. And I would much rather have him playing on a KHL team than playing on an AHL team. I think the AHL is a fine place for a lot of players to develop. I’m not convinced, and this is maybe a little bit hypocritical of me because I do think they did a very good job developing Jack Reeves, but I don’t necessarily think the AHL is best placed to develop a goalie as as young as Andreanov, who is only 18 years old. Um, he’s going to be playing for CSKA Moscow um next season hopefully. Um, he’s got some competition for that job, but I think keeping him in Russia is would I love to see him sooner? Sure. But I he was never going to be a Blue Jacket before the year 2030 anyway, which sounds like a long way away, but like when you look at the the like the top young goalies of of this most recent like season, so like Yarus Lavascarov of the Sharks springs to mind. He was, I believe, a 2020 draft pick. He is only just making his kind of ro like he’s only just stepping into his role as potential NHL starter next season. So, the 2526 season. Similarly, um Dustin Wolf was a um 2019 NHL uh draft pick. He played his first full NHL season this most recent season at the age of, you know, he’s what, 24? Yeah, he just turned 24 in April. So, like if he if he’s 22, 23 when he gets here, like that’s just kind of how old a goalie is when they are typically ready to step into the NHL. How comfortable are you with the goalending situation in Columbus now? because obviously it’s been on and off an issue for quite some time. I am cautiously optimistic. I think I’m I think that they tried really hard to move Elvis this off season and nothing came through because the goalie market was garbage, let’s say. Um I’m not thrilled that he is like here. I think he deserves a fresh start. I think um he’s kind of Elvis and Columbus I feel like has kind of run its course and I’m sure what’s going to happen is he will go somewhere else and have a fine career on another team. Um I don’t know that Columbus is is the place for him to really succeed. I am really really excited about Jack Greavves. Um, so I think my my my level of comfortability with the goalending goalending situation in Columbus right now falls almost entirely on what’s the split in net, right? Because if it’s a 1A 1B situation, I can live with that. Like it seems to me like the idea the like the ideal is like 6040 in favor of Jack Greaves the kid. Um, Elvis is a goalie that shows flashes of brilliance, um, but is frequently injured, gets fatigued a lot. He’s not the most durable goalie. He misses a lot of time. And I do think that if you limit him to like 30ish games, 35 at the m at the outside, you will get a fresher Elvis, you will get a better Elvis. And I think if he does need to step into the starter role, then having him with fresher legs, I think, will will help. You know, I think I don’t think he wants to be a backup, but I think that’s probably what’s what’s coming down from that’s probably what’s coming down the line. I think Jet is has earned the right to see if he’s got what it takes as a starter. obviously that incredible stretch at the end of last season um where he went like six and0 I think uh and had two shutouts in that time. Um you know I think he’s he’s earned his right to see what he’s got. If he struggles Elvis is there to step in for all the criticism Elvis faces, he is still an NHL goalie, right? I know a lot of people talk about him like he’s an ECHL level goalie. He’s an NHL goalie, right? Is he the goalie that the Blue Jackets needed last season? know, but he will be fine if they need to turn to him. I would have liked a different option, but it is what it is. Fair enough. Jay, why don’t you tell our viewers and our listeners where they could find the podcast and where they could find you on social media? Uh, yes, you can find Locked on Blue Jackets anywhere you can find Locked on NHL. We’re on all podcast platforms. We are over on YouTube. Uh, you can find me on Blue Sky at J A K O B F O R S T E R. You can find the show at LO_Bluejackets on Twitter and L-Bluejackets on Blue Sky. And uh today’s episode is all about Adam Fantelli and what kind of contract extension he might sign. So uh go and check that out if you are at all interested in Adam Fantelli. All right, Jay, thanks so much. Thanks. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Summer sports are in full swing. 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Can the Columbus Blue Jackets take that final step and reach the playoffs next season?

Jay Forster of Locked On Blue Jackets joins us to discuss how close the Jackets are and the fact that their biggest move of the offsason may not be the one that grabbed the most headlines.

All this and more on today’s Locked On NHL Podcast with Gil Martin.

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