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The Columbus Blue Jackets are set to begin the 2024-25 season after a tragic off-season. Star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed on Labor Day Weekend in a bike accident. Johnny was set to be the star of this team and his passing has taken a toll on the team. The Blue Jackets are looking to make a playoff run that everyone can get behind with this roster.
The Blue Jackets are under the salary cap floor as the season begins, which would normally mean a penalty would be coming. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the NHL has permitted them to be under the floor because of Gaudreau's passing. His $9.5 million cap hit would have put them within the limits. They do not have to make any moves before the season begins to be within the league's boundaries.
The forward unit looks much different than it did last year, even outside of the loss of Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets traded Patrik Laine to the Canadiens before training camp opened. His spot on the top line is open for a young prospect to snag. New addition Sean Monahan will be the top-line center. A former teammate of Gaudreau's from Calgary, he was excited to rekindle that relationship in Columbus.
He will be joined by captain Boone Jenner, who mans the left wing. The right-wing position is up for grabs and Kirill Marchenko has a great chance to snag it. The 24-year-old is entering his third NHL season and has scored 20 goals in both campaigns. Expect him to flourish in an increased role. Adam Fantilli was the third-overall pick in 2023 and is now their second-line center. New addition James Van Riemsdyk will likely join him and Kent Johnson on that line.
Blue Jackets bottom six, defense, and goalies.
The bottom six is led by Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinkaov on the third line. Veteran Sean Kuraly centers the fourth line while also playing on the penalty kill. Wingers Dimitri Voronkov, Mikael Pyyhtia, and Mathieu Olivier round out the forward unit. This group looks to score enough to help the Blue Jackets goaltending this season.
In goal, Elvis Merzlikens is expected to start for the Blue Jackets. After a fifth-place Vezina finish in his rookie season of 2019-10, Merzlikens has struggled. He posted a 3.45 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage in his 40 starts for Columbus last season. Fans must hope that 25-year-old Daniil Tarasov is the goalie of the future. He will be the backup after making 23 starts last season.
While the roster has holes in many places, number one defenseman is not one of them. Zach Werenski is signed for four more years as the top blue liner for the Blue Jackets. The former first-round pick had career-highs with 46 assists and 57 points last season. They should expect him to continue to build on that as his prime continues.
Joining him on the blue line are a few name-brand players despite their poor performances from last year. Ivan Provorov enters his second season in Columbus after a long run in Philadelphia. They'll need him to improve on his -11 rating for last year. Damon Severson, Jake Christiansen, and Jack Johnson are the other veterans on defense. David Jiricek is set to play his first full season in the NHL after he was drafted 6th overall in 2022.
Playoff chances, other odds for Columbus
The Blue Jackets have the worst odds of any team in their division on FanDuel. They are tied for the worst Stanley Cup odds in the entire league at +40000, or 400/1. The Ducks and Sharks are tied with them. Those three teams represent the rebuilding teams in the league this season.
The Blue Jackets are +15000, or 150/1, to win the Metropolitan Division. They are way behind the Flyers, who sit seventh at +2100. While these odds have something to do with Gaudreau's sudden passing, they would have been long shots even with their star winger. They are +1400 to make the playoffs in any way, the longest odds in the Eastern Conference.
MoneyPuck gives the Blue Jackets just a 0.6% chance to make the playoffs, the lowest in the Conference. While they are in the neighborhood of the Sharks and Ducks in all of these groups, their future is not as bright. The Sharks are welcoming Macklin Celebrini, the first overall pick, into their building this year. The Ducks have star forwards Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, and Cutter Gauthier on their roster.
