The Columbus Blue Jackets finished in the basement of the Eastern Conference in 2023-24 with just 66 points. Despite the offensive star power of Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine, the Blue Jackets struggled to win games in head coach Pascal Vincent's only season behind the bench. This summer, they brought in Gaudreau's old teammate Sean Monahan to try and re-create Gaudreau's 40-goal season with the Calgary Flames in 2021-22. Monahan spoke honestly about reuniting with Gaudreau.
“I am really looking forward to being teammates with Johnny again,” Monahan said to NHLPA.com. “Johnny is motivated to have a big season and be a huge part of the team and I’m excited to have the opportunity to reignite the chemistry we had for close to a decade. He is an amazing teammate, person, and friend. I’m looking forward to these next five years.”
The Blue Jackets must have great seasons from both Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau after their disastrous season last year. Gaudreau led the team with just 60 points, his fewest in a complete season. With Monahan adding center depth and powerplay potential to the team, that number should be going up next year. Columbus's centers won just 47.2% of their faceoffs last season which placed them in 27th among all 32 teams.
Blue Jackets' offseason moves outside of Sean Monahan
Sean Monahan wasn't the only long-term move that the Blue Jackets made this summer on the ice. The decision-maker was the biggest change. General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen was let go in February. The trade deadline was handled by then-team president John Davidson.
Before the draft, the Blue Jackets hired Don Waddell to be the general manager and President of Hockey Operations. Waddell left the Carolina Hurricanes to take the job with the Blue Jackets. Waddell did not do much in terms of players, re-signing Cole Sillinger to a one-year deal and trading away Alexandre Texier are the only other moves of note. He did, however, move on from head coach Pascal Vincent.
The 2023 off-season was much more tumultuous than this year's. They made the biggest splash of the coaching carousel, hiring Mike Babcock. It was his first NHL job in over 3 years. He did not make it through training camp before finding himself in another controversy and he resigned before he coached a game. Vincent, who was originally tabbed to be an assistant, was then announced as the Head Coach. After one of the worst seasons in franchise history, there is another coaching vacancy with the Blue Jackets.
A recent report has placed Todd McLellan on the outside looking in. The Blue Jackets and his former team, the Los Angeles Kings, could not agree to end McLellan's contract with the Kings. That leaves former Oilers' coach Jay Woodcroft as a top candidate to grab the job. He would be a good fit as he got the depth pieces around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to perform while in Edmonton.
With a tough Metropolitan Division ahead of them and very few reinforcements from last season, it could be another long season for Blue Jackets fans.
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