How the Blue Jackets can build on last season’s near playoff miss
On the heels of Johnny Gaudreau’s passing last summer, the Columbus Blue Jackets entered 2024-25 with emotions running high. The sudden passing of arguably their best player was expected to have a major effect – on and off the ice – on a team that already had fairly low expectations.
Finishing just two points shy of the final Wildcard seed in the Eastern Conference, the Blue Jackets were one of the best stories last season. Just missing out on what would’ve truly been a Cinderella-story of a playoff berth, the Jackets showed promise for the future under a new era shepherded by president of hockey ops and GM Don Waddell.
Though the charge was led by superstar defenseman Zach Werenski and his Norris Trophy caliber season, the emergence of younger players fuelled the Jackets’ season. Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson finished top five in scoring among Columbus players; the expectation is for more young players will contribute this season.
Speaking with Daily Faceoff, Columbus director of hockey operations Rick Nash highlighted Denton Mateychuk who was the top candidate to make an impact on the main roster this upcoming year.
“A former first rounder from 2022, he played a regular role last year,” said Nash. “But with another year of experience, a full summer in the gym, he’s a guy that can take a step.
“In Cleveland, center Luca Del Bel Belluz had a great AHL season and came up (to the NHL) for a handful of games and had some success. He gives us some depth down the middle.”
The Jackets took a major step forward last season in a year when not much was expected of them. Building off the success of their younger players is definitely a major factor to come into this season, but it goes beyond that for the Jackets. According to Nash, head coach Dean Evason and his staff deserve a lot of credit.
“We had a hill to climb with an emotional start and they did a phenomenal job,” Nash said. “Getting the guys prepared, overcoming injuries early on in the season.
“The coaching staff and staying healthy are two things that stick out to me (to build on this season). Get off to a good start that we can roll on from November into December.”
Evason arrived in Columbus last season after his predecessor, Pascal Vincent, was dismissed upon Waddell’s arrival to head up hockey operations. After several years of a rotating cast behind the bench – and to say nothing of the Mike Babcock fiasco – getting some sustainability and consistency was crucial for a growing Columbus group. Evason was exactly what the Jackets were lacking as a head coach.
“Evason did a great job; he set new standards with a new voice and grabbed everyone’s attention,” Nash said. “He’s always prepared, always has the guys motivated. He holds guys accountable as well, which is (crucial) in the NHL.”
The parity in the NHL causes a clustered playoff picture but also helps teams avoid complacency. Narrowly missing out on the playoff last season, being so close yet so far, can provide motivation for a team entering the following season. For a young and growing team like the Jackets, making the playoffs in an ever-growing tight league is the exact kind of fuel that’ll help propel them forward.
“Speaking of my own career, I wish I had a lot more playoff games early on in my career so I could’ve gained experience,” said Nash. “Now being on the other end (in management) I want that for the young players. It’s another level of play in the playoffs; I think these guys need those experiences to grow.
“You can’t be satisfied just making the playoffs, but making some noise once you get there.”
Any team with a young nucleus needs good veterans, and Werenski has emerged as the perfect role model for his younger compatriots. He’s coming off a career season with 23 goals and 82 points, and his ability to lead on and off the ice has become the lynchpin to the Jackets’ process and culture.
“I can’t put into words what Zach means to the organization,” Nash said. “He had an incredible year last year on the ice, but off the ice he’s a huge part of it, as well. To have a pro like Werenski around the younger group to bounce questions off means arguably more than the on-ice stuff.”
After narrowly missing out on the playoffs last season with a growing group, the Jackets are trying to temper their expectations, according to Nash. It is more about putting together weeks and months of good hockey to build momentum. They are still in the early stages of a rebuild and trying to become a consistent team night in, night out. But if they continue following the trajectory they set last season, the Jackets may be back in a prominent position in the near future.
Devils willing to top $8-million AAV on Luke Hughes’ next deal
As the Luke Hughes saga drags on through training camp, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported earlier this week that the AAV is now the point of contention in the negotiations with the New Jersey Devils. Being “a ways apart,” both sides have agreed on a long-term deal but cannot come to terms on the yearly cap hit.
Speaking with a source with the Devils, I was told yesterday the team is willing to go north of $8 million per season with Hughes.
Asking around the league about this, an Eastern Conference executive told me, “that’s where the market is heading. Young talents are going to (need to) benefit financially if they are signing eight-year deals.”
Speaking with an agent, there may be pressure on the Devils to keep Hughes in an effort to lure Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes over to the team to unite all three brothers.
I once thought the Brock Faber contract with the Minnesota Wild ($8.5 million AAV) was a good comparison for the youngest Hughes brother; it was shot down by two executives earlier in the offseason. But with the holdout going as long as it has and the pressure to keep the Hughes family happy lurking, New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald may be inclined to go higher on an AAV than he was initially.
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