This season has been quite a rollercoaster for the Columbus Blue Jackets but with any rollercoaster ride there are very high highs and very low lows. This team has given fans a chance to believe they could be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time, but they have also led fans to believe they could be back in the Draft Lottery again, aiming and primed for a top pick.
Recent play and results have given this Blue Jackets team and fans a heightened sense of fear regarding whether the team has the ability to make a push. The flip side of that argument is how close the Blue Jackets truly are as a team, and the number of tight results they have had only begin to tell the story of a team that could make a big run.
So, let’s take a look three reasons Blue Jackets fans should be thankful at this point in the season.
The Blue Jackets Have Been Stacking Points
Now, I know that the first rebuttal to this will be that the Blue Jackets only have six regulation wins through 24 games. That is absolutely not something that any coach, player, or fan wants to write home about. However, this team indeed has done quite a fantastic job of getting points in a vast majority of their games.
The Blue Jackets have gained at least a point in 62.5% of games this season, which is a statistic that would make fans believe this team is performing far above expectations. However, they only have 11 wins, which in turn is the third-worst mark in the entire Eastern Conference.
Kirill Marchenko, Columbus Blue Jackets (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
There are also some positives to the negative connotation that the team cannot finish games. Blue Jackets teams of the past have struggled to even keep games alive to the final whistle. This season however, has brought upon a new struggle.
The Blue Jackets now have the problem and struggle of not being able to finish games. They have created a pattern of getting games to overtime, which should make fans beyond excited that their club keeps getting points. However, they have struggled to win games before the final horn in regulation which allows their competition to keep stacking points as well.
Staying Afloat in the Playoff Race Despite Injuries
The Blue Jackets have been bitten extremely hard with the injury bug this season, and it has been extremely difficult to keep their heads around the playoff line. However, with their health starting to get a little better, the Blue Jackets can begin to getting back to some semblance of normal.
They are currently without captain Boone Jenner, Erik Gudbranson, Kirill Marchenko, and Mathieu Olivier. Those players are massive pieces of each phase of their game, and they have still found a way to come away with at least a point in a majority of their contests. That is a positive.
However, they are now to the point where just getting one point a night is not enough to keep them in the chase for a Metropolitan Division crown. Let it be known that division is still wide open as well.
Goal Differential Above Expected – November 23 pic.twitter.com/4e16upstZ9
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) November 23, 2025
However, the problem is their record has not accurately indicated what this team has done in many of their games. They have either played a very tight game, and in most cases snuck away with a point, or they have struggled and been blown out.
If they can get healthy again, and start to right the ship, this team has given these injured stars a chance to comeback and make a real impact with fresh legs. Jenner and Marchenko are two of the biggest impact players the team has, and they badly need them to return to make a run before the season is out of hand.
Jet Greaves Emergence as a Stout Goaltender
One of the big question marks for the Blue Jackets entering the season was goaltending, and they were unsure if they had anything figured out long-term with either of the options. As it turns out, Jet Greaves has been quite the answer.
Elvis Merzlikins has had moments where he appears to be a shutdown goaltender and top-option caliber. He has also had moments where he has looked like a rough option in relief of Greaves.
Team Goaltending – November 23 pic.twitter.com/Bq0x5GGDqg
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) November 23, 2025
Greaves has single-handedly kept the Blue Jackets in some games this season, and has given them a chance to go into overtime by bailing them out at the end of regulation in others. He has been a big factor for this young team, and should be a building block moving forward.
If Greaves can continue to be the lockdown number-one option in the crease, Columbus looks primed and ready for not only a push this season, but for the future as well. Being in the hunt this far in this season should be reason enough for the Blue Jackets to be thankful.
