{"id":556907,"date":"2026-04-20T21:00:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T21:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/556907\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T21:00:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T21:00:33","slug":"among-fan-discontent-what-happens-now-for-the-columbus-blue-jackets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/556907\/","title":{"rendered":"Among fan discontent, what happens now for the Columbus Blue Jackets?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The season is over for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Out of 25 seasons in club history, this is the 24th time we\u2019re saying that before the end of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And yet, in a franchise defined by strife, heartbreak, misery, and pain: this particular failure feels like it\u2019s near the top of the barrel.<\/p>\n

What other season even comes close? 2011\u201312? Probably. That year had the failed Jeff Carter trade, the Rick Nash departure, and a full-on reset from the bottom. But 2025\u201326 is right there in the conversation.<\/p>\n

So now the question becomes: where does the Union Blue go from here?<\/p>\n

Is it time to tear it all down and start another long rebuild? I don\u2019t think ownership, the front office, the coaching staff, the locker room, or the fans could stomach that right now \u2014 not after coming so close to the postseason the last two years.<\/p>\n

What about selling off veterans and leaning harder into the \u201cyoung core\u201d? Well, most of that young core is already past their ELCs and will be due raises soon \u2014 Adam Fantilli most of all. And we all saw how \u201cjust play the kids\u201d worked during the final years of Jarmo Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen\u2019s tenure. A team without meaningful veteran depth is a team built to fail in this league.<\/p>\n

Can the franchise add a few key pieces this offseason and come back stronger? Maybe. But who are those pieces, and what\u2019s the cost? The Jackets have cap space and a few picks, but the prospect pool is thinner than it used to be. <\/p>\n

If they go big-game hunting \u2014 Robert Thomas, Jason Robertson, Dylan Larkin \u2014 they won\u2019t be the only ones in line. Are they ready for a bidding war? Are they ready to sacrifice pieces of the young core or future picks to go \u201cwin now\u201d? And is this even the right moment to make that kind of push?<\/p>\n

Free agency doesn\u2019t offer much relief either. As of this writing, the top UFA by points is\u2026Darren Raddysh. Charlie Coyle \u2014 a guy many CBJ fans want Don Waddell to bring back anyway \u2014 isn\u2019t far behind. <\/a>What once looked like a deep UFA class has evaporated as teams used the rising cap to lock down their own players. Columbus will be doing the same with its pending UFAs.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the right answer? Honestly, I don\u2019t have one. And that\u2019s the most frustrating part.<\/p>\n

When this team executed the way it was built on paper, they were one of the most dangerous groups in the NHL for months. Then, almost overnight, they forgot how to play hockey together. Selfish entries, sloppy possessions in all three zones, lazy passes turning into brutal turnovers \u2014 it all came roaring back at once. The wildest part is that their defensive zone work actually held up down the stretch. It was the scoring that evaporated.<\/p>\n

Re-hiring Rick Bowness <\/a>was the right first step, but not the only solution they need. They need more finishing talent. They need a third defensive pairing that can reliably eat 15 minutes a night and take pressure off the top four. How they get there, I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

But I do know this: the Union Blue faithful are fed up. It\u2019s time for a winner on the ice in Columbus.<\/p>\n

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