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The Columbus Blue Jackets were not expected to be anything other than bottom-feeders in 2024-25. The club has been riddled with injuries; captain Boone Jenner has been out for most of the season, while Dmitri Voronkov and Kent Johnson both missed significant stretches in the early going. And even with a healthy roster, the Jackets projected to be one of the weaker units in the league.
Voronkov and Johnson are both now back in the lineup, and the roster has looked surprisingly decent as of late. Through 19 games, the 2024-25 Blue Jackets are 8-9-2, good enough for sixth place in the Metropolitan Division. But after a six-game winless streak, Columbus has won two in a row and three of four, and are looking like a team that does not deserve to be in the basement of either the division or the Eastern Conference.
Blue Jackets are hanging around despite injuries
As of Saturday, the Blue Jackets are just three points back of the final wildcard berth in the East, and there are five teams below them in the conference. Although they're still below .500, it's possible that this squad has been underestimated, and there's room for even more improvement as the campaign rolls on.
Despite the recent success, the Jackets have sorely missed their captain, and they'll only get better once Jenner is able to return to the lineup. But other than he and defenseman Erik Gudbranson, Columbus has been icing a nearly fully healthy roster for the last few games, and the results have been encouraging.
It starts with Sean Monahan and Zach Werenski, who are both playing at a pace well above what was expected of them this season.
Sean Monahan, Zach Werenski playing at PPG pace, a pleasant surprise
Fans in Ohio are well-aware of the kind of player Werenski is. The star American has had to deal with a couple of brutal injury blows in his career. But in 2024-25, the 27-year-old is proving that he is one of the best defensemen in the National Hockey League when healthy.
Werenski is up to six goals and 19 points in 19 games after a ridiculous five-point night against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. The Jackets and Bolts played a barn burner, with Werenski scoring the overtime winner in a 7-6 final to cement the best game of his career. He's been doing it all for the Blue Jackets this season, averaging just under 26 minutes of time on ice and playing like a star at both ends of the rink. He's making a strong case to be on Team USA's top pairing at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
As for Monahan, he broke into the NHL fulltime a decade ago and has only played at a point-per-game pace once in that span. That came as a member of the Calgary Flames back in 2018-19, when he amassed 82 points in 78 games on a line with Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau.
This season, Monahan has looked fantastic; the 30-year-old has turned back the clock, managing seven goals and 19 points in 19 games of his own. He and Werenski are tied for the team lead in scoring, and the two are leading the way for the Blue Jackets offensively in 2024-25. While it's somewhat surprising that the two are each playing at a point-per-game pace, what's even more surprising is the depth scoring the squad is getting as of late.
The depth is surprisingly coming through in Columbus
Who would have thought coming into the year that Cole Sillinger would be up to 12 points in 19 games? Or that Kevin Labanc would be playing at the best pace of his career, with 10 points in 14 games? Mathieu Olivier has managed six goals and nine points of his own, while Kent Johnson has scored four goals in five games in his injury-shortened season, adding three assists for good measure.
As well, Adam Fantilli and Justin Danforth have managed nine and eight points, respectively, although there's certainly room to improve for the former, who missed most of his rookie year. With Monahan and Kirill Marchenko (18 points in 19 games) leading the way offensively, and Werenski continuing to provide consistent scoring from the back end, the improved play of the offensive depth has helped this club stay afloat through the first near quarter of the season.
As of late, the Blue Jackets haven't had any trouble putting the puck in the net. Columbus is scoring 3.42 goals per game this season, good enough for 10th league wide. The main problem has been the goaltending, and that's been especially true about Daniil Tarasov.
Daniil Tarasov's play between the pipes has been disappointing
The tandem of Elvis Merzlikins and Tarasov is certainly not one of the better goaltending duos in the league, but it's been downright bad so far in 2024-25. Tarasov has been the main culprit; he's won just three of his eight starts, playing to a ghastly 4.04 goals-against average and .861 save percentage. Although there were some rumblings he could take over as the starter this season, he has not played anything like a starting NHL netminder.
It's especially disappointing as the Russian does project as the goaltender of the future in Ohio. It's no secret that Merzlikins has tried to get traded in the past, and Tarasov is five years younger. The 25-year-old will get a chance to figure out his game, but so far, he's been the biggest disappointment on this roster. Merzlikins has started four of Columbus' last five games, and he looks to be solidified as the No. 1 — at least for now.
Over the last week, the Blue Jackets have actually looked like a pretty good hockey team, and the offense is continuing to produce, which is encouraging. If Merzlikins can improve on his 3.02 GAA and .895 SV% and the roster continues to score goals at this pace, there's a case to be made that Columbus will continue to hang around the wildcard picture in the Eastern Conference this season.
