2016-17 record: 50-24-8 (108 points)
Lost to Pittsburgh in the Conference quarterfinals
Captain: Nick Foligno
A 16-game unbeaten streak highlighted the Columbus Blue Jackets' season as they finished with the most points in franchise history, yet a first round loss to Pittsburgh illustrates that they have a long way to go where they want to be. The pieces are in place for a sustained playoff run, and with many of their key players yet to reach 30, the window may be as wide open as it gets.
When John Tortorella was brought it, he brought accountability to a team that had largely struggled with that in recent years. It begins with Nick Foligno, who rebounded to post respectable offensive totals while providing much needed leadership. Cam Atkinson was an offensive force that should be better with Artemi Panarin joining the team in a trade from Chicago. The trade came at the cost of Brandon Saad, but there are more than enough players who can provide what he provided. There isn't a true number one center, but Alexander Wennberg took a big step in that direction, and now he has the contract to prove it. They will need to replace Sam Gagner and William Karlsson, but if Pierre-Luc Dubois can step in right away, that will take some pressure off the rest of the team. The blue line is the strongest it's ever been, and provided Zach Werenski shows no ill effects of an eye injury suffered in the playoffs, figures to be a strength for a long time. Werenski and Seth Jones are both top defenders while David Savard and Jack Johnson have provided the team with a solid shutdown pair. Gabriel Carlsson could push for time, and the pressure is now on Ryan Murray to do something or get left behind. Sergei Bobrovsky finally stayed healthy for the first time since 2013, and it was reflected in his second Vezina Trophy. Playoff success still eludes him, but staying healthy was a major step for him, and provided the injury issues are behind him, he should be a major player for a while.
Prediction: 3rd in the Metropolitan Division
Despite falling off a little towards the end of the regular season, the Blue Jackets are a team on the rise. Health will always be an issue until proven otherwise, but we've seen what happens when key players are healthy. The Blue Jackets figure to be in the mix in a tough Metropolitan Division.
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