For almost 30 years, John Buccigross has been a staple on ESPN. While he’s spent a lot of time on the anchor desk of Sportscenter, fans universally know him for his vast hockey coverage over the years.

In recent years since the NHL has returned to ESPN, Buccigross has been one of their main play-by-play voices. You’ll hear him call games on the networks of ESPN during the regular season and the early rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

This past Thursday, Buccigross and analyst AJ Mleczko were on the ESPN+ call of the game between the Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets. It was a rematch from three days before when the Oilers stunned the Blue Jackets in overtime thanks to a late regulation goal scored while shorthanded.

The rematch was just as exciting. The Blue Jackets held off the late Oilers push to win 5-4 in regulation. For Buccigross, being able to call a game in Columbus is special.

Buccigross hails from Steubenville, OH which is about 40 miles outside of Pittsburgh, PA. With his Ohio roots, it’s easy to see why he has a soft spot for the Blue Jackets.

Buccigross can be seen on social media posting a lot about the Blue Jackets. He’s made it no secret that he believes in the direction they’re going. He was kind enough to spend a few minutes on Thursday morning with the Hockey Writers to talk about the state of the Blue Jackets from his national perspective.

The first question we posed to him. Are the Blue Jackets truly on the way up to you?

Buccigross Reflects on Blue Jackets

“Certainly, I thought they were in the bubble mix this year,” Buccigross said. “They’re anywhere from an 87 to 94-point team. Will Adam Fantilli get to 35-40 goals? Will Marchenko continue his ascent as a legitimate first-line guy? The new additions, will they come together quickly? Will they get good goaltending? I’ve been thinking about it myself. I still don’t quite understand what are they as a team. What are they?”

“There doesn’t seem to be real line meshing yet. I know Fantilli was just moved. Now he’s starting to produce. And the third line, that’s a good line. But now (Boone) Jenner’s hurt and then Johnson gets scratched. Now where does he fit? Chinakhov wants to get traded. Where does he (fit?) So, I still think there’s some question marks now which could put a drag on accumulating enough points early. I’m a little concerned that the congealing hasn’t quite happened yet. And is it going to be something that they’re battling all year?”