2026-27 NHL team preview: Columbus Blue Jackets
LAST SEASON
The Columbus Blue Jackets really felt like they were headed somewhere meaningful when last season began. In 2024-25, they’d finished with 89 points and their highest points percentage since 2019-20; they’d only missed out on a playoff berth by two points, and they played with structure and discipline under coach Dean Evason. They had one of the best all-around D-men in the game in Zach Werenski. Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko had broken out as two of the sport’s most promising young forwards. The Jackets were a popular sleeper to crash the Eastern Conference playoff party.
But things didn’t quite play out that way in 2025-26. By January, they were sub-.500, having endured four different losing streaks of four games or more. After excellent 2024-25 campaigns, youngsters like Fantilli, Kent Johnson and Dmitri Voronkov regressed in their play, and Evason took the blame for that, fired in mid-January, left blindsided by GM Don Waddell’s decision.
Veteran Rick Bowness slid in as the interim bench replacement and immediately sparked a turnaround, with the Jackets ripping off a 10-1-0 run to start his tenure and climbing back into the playoff picture. While Werenski delivered a banner season wire to wire, good enough to capture his first Norris Trophy, and goaltender Jet Greaves had a breakthrough campaign of his own, the team’s effort sagged in late March and early April. The Blue Jackets missed the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season, sparking an angry end-of-season tirade from Bowness. He called out his players, claiming, “These guys, they don’t care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn’t bother them.” One year after falling two points short of the playoffs, they missed by seven.
The Jackets were already trending in the wrong direction heading into the offseason. Then things got weird. First, some context: in December, superstar defenseman and captain Quinn Hughes’ time as a Vancouver Canuck ended with a trade to the Minnesota Wild. Then, on Father’s Day 2026, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk successfully forced his way off the team and to the Florida Panthers. That blockbuster came a couple weeks after Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade. Rumors swirled around Winnipeg Jets icon Connor Hellebuyck, too. With multiple members of the 2026 Team USA gold medal squad deciding to control their fates, was Werenski about to be next? The week of the NHL Draft, it appeared he was a goner. Waddell fielded offers for his star. But after Werenski blocked a trade to the Dallas Stars, he and the Jackets made amends and backed off the idea publicly on July 1, issuing statements reaffirming Werenski’s commitment to the franchise.
Despite the (temporary?) resolution, some damage was done. The Werenski situation seemed to hamstring the Blue Jackets’ offseason, as they made very few significant tweaks while also saying goodbye to key free-agent forwards Boone Jenner and Mason Marchment. Were players being scared off of coming to Columbus with Werenski, a 2028 UFA, not a lock to stay long term? Plus there was the trade buzz gathering around Marchenko early this summer, though it seemed to die down as we reached August.
As a result, the vibes feel…tense entering this season. Columbus lost a couple important players and, despite the fact it hasn’t made the playoffs in more than half a decade, it doesn’t have a bustling farm system on the verge of equipping the big club with immediate help. Will the franchise’s spiral continue, or can Bowness spark a team turnaround like he did upon arrival last winter? Most importantly: will the team win enough to keep Werenski happy?
KEY ADDITIONS & DEPARTURES
Additions
Valeri Nichushkin, LW
Ryan Lomberg, LW
Colton White, D
Pheonix Copley, G
Departures
Boone Jenner, C (Wsh)
Mason Marchment, LW (SJ)
Egor Zamula, D (KHL)
Zach Aston-Reese, LW (Phi)
Brendan Gaunce, C (Bos)
OFFENSE
After finishing a sneaky-dangerous eighth in total offense the season prior, Columbus had a tougher time scoring last season, slipping to 19th, with its power play ranking 22nd. From Fantilli to Johnson to Voronkov and even veteran Sean Monahan, it seemed like everyone aside from Werenski and Marchenko regressed. The problem was mainly about finishing, as Columbus quietly ranked near the top of the league at 5-on-5 in generating shots and scoring chances, so there’s at least a hope that Columbus can turn around its puck luck going forward.
Whereas Marchenko maintained the gains he made as a scorer year over year, Fantilli struggled early in 2024-25 only to pop off for a big second half for a second consecutive season. Just 21, he still has the makings of a franchise center, but he averages 0.59 points per game from October through January versus 0.83 across February, March and April so far in his career. He needs to find full-season consistency to help get Columbus into the postseason. A good first step would be, ahem, a contract: Fantilli remains an unsigned (and offer-sheet eligible) RFA as of press time. Perhaps playing with Nichushkin will help; he’s a winner and strong two-way forward, used to playing alongside top-end talents with the Colorado Avalanche. But they’ll need some additional help from lower down in the forward group, especially after captain Jenner and underrated middle-sixer Marchment left. The nifty-mitted Johnson was progressing as hoped in 2024-25 and thrived at first upon Bowness’ arrival but eventually fell out of favor and wound up a healthy scratch.
If Johnson can’t get his career back on track and third-line center Charlie Coyle can’t repeat arguably his best season, Columbus will once again rely on its defense to carry the offense. Werenski is the dominant force through which the attack runs. He’s pretty much peerless at generating chances from his position. He has 100 more shots on goal than the next-best NHL blueliner over the past two seasons, and only Cale Makar and Jakob Chychrun have scored more goals. The Blue Jackets have a mobile group in general, with four defensemen who topped eight goals last season. Dynamic sophomore Denton Mateychuk got 12 of his 13 goals at even strength and could be Werenski’s long-term successor at power-play quarterback should Columbus trade him at some point.
DEFENSE
Despite their deep D-corps and a forward group filled with players carrying strong two-way reputations, the Jackets were a middling defensive team last season – and pretty bad on the PK. That said: they improved once Bowness came to town. They were actually seventh in the NHL at suppressing 5-on-5 scoring chances from Jan. 12 onward, so they can build off those gains.
The Werenski-Severson pair will continue handling the toughest matchups. They were up to the task last season, Severson in particular. When paired together, they had a fantastic 67.15 percent 5-on-5 expected goal share, tops in the entire NHL among duos who played at least 100 minutes together. Sitting fourth in the league: Columbus’ second pair of Ivan Provorov and Mateychuk. The Jackets seem to have found a highly effective top four, with no-frills Fabbro likely occupying the third pair alongside one of Erik Gudbranson or Jake Christiansen. Coyle was quietly one of the NHL’s top two-way pivots for most of last season and should handle the most difficult assignments and PK work again. If you factor in the strides made post-Bowness, Columbus has a chance to play above-average defensive hockey this season.
GOALTENDING
Greaves, 25, is one of the NHL’s smallest goaltenders, generously listed at six-foot and 188 pounds, but few are quicker and more athletic. Over the past couple seasons, he’s ascended from AHL standout to viable NHLer and, now, a rising star who just earned himself a three-year, $15-million contract. Among 28 goalies who appeared in at least half their teams’ games last season, he sat eighth in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes. He pulled away from Elvis Merzlikins to become the unquestioned starter last season. Greaves also excelled in Canada’s net at the 2026 World Championship and has a strong chance to make the 2028 World Cup team.
Merzlikins, seemingly on the trade block forever, was still on board as Greaves’ backup entering this season, but Merzlikins is out indefinitely after having shoulder surgery earlier this month. That means Pheonix Copley will open 2026-27 as Columbus’ No. 2. The 34-year-old journeyman has 78 NHL games to his name, but he only logged two in the past two seasons combined, spending most of his time with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. In other words, Greaves might blow past the career-high 53 games he started for the Jackets last season.
COACHING
While the Jackets showed improvements as a whole under Bowness, they still need better special teams and youth development if they want to reverse their downward trajectory. Enter two new assistant coaches in Don Granato and Trent Vogelhuber. Granato, a former USA Hockey mainstay, specializes in working with younger players and had the Buffalo Sabres’ power play humming above 23 percent in 2022-23, while Vogelhuber will work to improve the PK. As for Bowness: it remains to be seen how much coaching he has left in him. He’s the oldest bench boss in the NHL at 71, and he seemed exasperated with his team after just half a season. But he nevertheless re-signed, perhaps keeping the seat warm for someone like Vogelhuber, an Ohio native and Blue Jackets draftee who has spent more than a decade with their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, as an assistant and head coach.
ROOKIES
Columbus’ top four overall prospects either haven’t turned pro yet (Jackson Smith, Cayden Lindstrom, Oscar Hemming) or are playing pro overseas (Pyotr Andreanov).
But if we look lower down their list of youngsters en route to the NHL: will 2026-27 bring the Rise of the Lucases?
Luca Pinelli got into three NHL games last season in the midst of a breakout AHL campaign, and he has teased high-end goal-scoring ability in major junior.
Luca Del Belluz has lost his Calder Trophy eligibility after playing 15 and 14 games over the past two seasons, respectively, but remains a rookie in spirit, and Columbus could really use his help as a playmaker this season given its personnel losses at forward. He was better than a point-per-game player in the AHL last season and has little left to prove there. It’s time for him to sink or swim, especially since he’s no longer waivers-exempt.
BURNING QUESTIONS
1. Is Zach Werenski still a Blue Jackets lifer? He and Waddell came forward to preach all the right things and quell the trade talk. Yep, just like Quinn Hughes did a year ago, and Larkin did in 2023, and Brady Tkachuk did at the end of the regular season. It’s all just damage control. We won’t truly know what Werenski wants until or unless he signs an extension, which he’ll be eligible to do beginning July 1, 2027. But what happens if Columbus starts this season slowly? Will the drumbeat become deafening again? Werenski is 29 and in danger of going his entire prime without playing in the postseason. How much more losing will he tolerate?
2. Is Valeri Nichushkin still a front-line forward? Acquiring the 2021-22 Stanley Cup winner, on paper, significantly softens the blow of losing Jenner and Marchment. At his peak, Nichushkin has been a better player than both of them. He averaged 27 goals and 57 points per 82 games in his tenure with the Avs. The problem: he only exceeded 65 games in one of those seven seasons, albeit the first two were shortened by COVID-19. Staying healthy has never been easy for Nichushkin, and his previous off-ice problems are also well-documented. He’s still good enough to help Columbus, but how many games can the team count on him to play?
3. Will Kent Johnson ever put it all together? Bowness revealed that Johnson, already slight of build, lost at least 10 pounds during last season, which might have explained his inability to win puck battles. It will be interesting to see what type of shape he’s in when training camp opens. Johnson’s hands are incredible, but it feels like he may need a trade and a new environment to reach his ceiling.
PREDICTION
At first glance, Columbus’ chances of ending the playoff drought seem rather bleak. The lineup looks weaker year over year, and Werenski’s cloudy future threatens to impact the dressing room. That said: if we squint closer, this group improved meaningfully after Bowness took over, especially on defense, and the Metropolitan Division is pretty top heavy. The Blue Jackets are actually a decent bet to at least remain in the point range they’ve established over the past couple years, and the playoffs aren’t completely out of reach if a few more breaks go their way. But it’s also equally likely things come to a head with Werenski or with Bowness and his young charges, causing a full team implosion. The range of outcomes is wide.
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