2013-14 record: 43-32-7 (93 points)
Lost to Pittsburgh in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: TBA
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been playing like a real team for the last two seasons, and it is no coincidence that they've been pushing for the playoffs in those seasons, making it last year and earning their first playoff wins in the process. The challenge now is to make it for the second straight year. In net, Sergei Bobrovsky has given the Blue Jackets the goaltending they've needed since they joined the league in 2000. In front of him, the defensive unit can trot out three solid pairings, with Jack Johnson and Fedor Tyutin being the duo trusted to deal with the opposition's top lines. Forwards can score, but Ryan Johansen's contract situation bears watching, as he remains unsigned as of this report. His 33 goals last season will be hard to replace if he misses any amount of time. Still, there are good options, as Scott Hartnell brings his 20 goals from Philadelphia last year to a team that has much in the way of secondary scoring. The keys to improving the offense will be a healthy Nathan Horton and any of Alexander Wennberg, Kerby Rychel, or Marko Dano making the leap to the NHL.
Prediction: 3rd in the Metropolitan Division
The Blue Jackets are a safe bet to make the playoffs, something that couldn't have been said before. However, they do need to figure out the Johansen contract situation or else it could be a problem down the line. Even without him, the Blue Jackets are a solid team all the way around.
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