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The Columbus Blue Jackets missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. This was not an unexpected outcome for the franchise. They finished near the bottom of the NHL in 2022-23 and made few moves to improve the roster last summer. Still, this sort of dreadful season could be a thing of the past.
The Blue Jackets have a new head coach in Dean Evason. Evason spent time with the Minnesota Wild prior to this appointment. And he helped Minnesota make the Stanley Cup Playoffs on a few occasions. Columbus certainly hopes he can bring similar success to Ohio in the years ahead.
In NHL Free Agency, Columbus added a veteran center who should fill in on the top line. Sean Monahan signed a five-year contract after a bounce-back season with the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets in 2023-24. He reunites with Johnny Gaudreau, a former teammate from when the two played for the Calgary Flames.
Monahan is an obvious Blue Jackets veteran who should provide the team value at the top of the lineup. However, there are other veteran players who could make an impact in their roles. Here are two such players for fans to keep an eye on ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Erik Gudbranson had a career year
Erik Gudbranson signed with the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2022. His four-year contract initially put a lot of fans off. The veteran rearguard has never been one of the best defensemen in the league. And even as a depth option, he left something to be desired on the ice.
Regardless of initial perception, Gudbranson found another gear in 2023-24. Gudbranson is coming off a career season for the Blue Jackets. The Ottawa native scored a career-high six goals and 26 points for Columbus this past season. He also averaged 19 and a half minutes a game in the 78 games he skated in.
Defensively, the veteran rearguard made a bit of an impact. He had the second-lowest Goals Against Per 60 Minutes at 5v5 (2.69) among Columbus defenders, according to Evolving Hockey. Additionally, he had the second-highest On-Ice Save Percentage (.921) on the team, as well.
Gudbranson has performed well given the circumstances in Columbus. At times, he's had to play higher in the lineup than expected when he signed. The veteran blueliner should start on the third pairing this upcoming season. And he could certainly build upon his career year from 2023-24.
Boone Jenner is captain for a reason
When it comes to veteran Blue Jackets talent, Boone Jenner often feels left out of the conversation. Johnny Gaudreau is the team's marketable star. Sean Monahan is the team's recent marquee free-agency signing. Gudbranson is coming off a career season and Zach Werenski is starting to enter veteran territory.
However, Jenner is the captain of the team. If the Blue Jackets win the Stanley Cup sometime sooner, it will be Jenner who raises it first. And his effectiveness on the ice is certainly worth noting. Since 2021-22, not a single player who wore a Columbus sweater has scored more goals, according to Evolving Hockey.
Jenner was limited to just 58 games in 2023-24. Still, the Columbus captain scored 22 goals and 35 points in that time. His 22 goals ranked second on the team behind Kirill Marchenko, according to ESPN. This is in spite of the fact that Jenner played exactly 20 fewer games than Marchenko.
Jenner may not receive a lot of national attention. However, he is a very valuable player for the Blue Jackets. If Columbus wants to take steps forward in the year ahead, Jenner is going to be vital in seeing the team make the necessary progress on the ice.
