COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A milestone season awaits the Blue Jackets with expectations higher than ever after an emotional 2024-25 campaign ended just shy of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Last year, the Jackets took the ice after the death of their star forward, Johnny Gaudreau, and his brother Matthew, who were killed by an alleged drunk driver. And though the team still carries their memories into this upcoming season, the Blue Jackets say there’s unfinished business as they open the season Thursday night at the Nashville Predators.
“Stanley Cup is our expectation. That’s what we want, right? We have to make steps in order to get there and that first step is obviously to make the playoffs,” second-year coach Dean Evason said. “We want to see the guys compete every night, and we’ll see where we sit. Our guys have done a good job of staying focused in that regard.”
Here are three things to know.
Playoffs-or-bust mentality
The Blue Jackets made a memorable run to make the postseason, staying in contention until the penultimate game, when Montreal snagged the final wild card spot, extending a playoff drought that’s lasted half a decade now.
But the players took the summer seriously.
“It’s a good thing to have expectations, and it’s a good thing to think we’re a playoff team because I do believe that we are. But it is a long season. So if something happens early on and it doesn’t go your way at the start, you still have 80-something games or 75 games,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “It’s kind of the same rhetoric every year. This year, genuinely I feel like, if we’re not a playoff team, it’s a failure for this group. And I think everyone believes that in our locker room, so I’m excited to get to work.”
Excitement and questions in net
Jet Greaves turned a lot of heads toward the end of last season with his performance in net. After getting called up from the Cleveland Monsters, the rookie was nearly unstoppable. During a three-game stretch, he stopped 90 of 93 stops. And in his final five starts, he only allowed four goals, shutting out opponents twice.
“If you watch his game, he’s a very controlled goalie,” general manager Don Waddell said. “His rebound control is outstanding. He catches everything. He’s going to be given every opportunity here.”
In the preseason, Greaves led all Jackets goaltenders with a 1-1-0 record and a .917 save percentage in three games. But the question is whether that performance is enough to dethrone the incumbent, Elvis Merzlikins, who registered 26 wins in the 53 games played and managed a .892 save percentage.
“We’re excited about our goaltending, obviously,” Evason said. “You saw what Jet did at the end of the year. We’re extremely happy with the way Elvis is competing and battling. The way he’s conducted himself as a teammate.”
Approaching milestones
The 25th season of Blue Jackets hockey could start with captain Boone Jenner achieving his own milestone. The center is just one goal shy of 200 career goals and looks to become just the third player in the franchise’s history to reach the mark.
Meanwhile, Werenski is slowly approaching his own milestones. He just needs 18 points to tie Cam Atkinson for second in most points by a Blue Jacket. And he’s 33 game appearances away from joining the 600 club, which only has three members: Jenner, Atkinson and Rick Nash.
Werenski is coming off an eventful offseason that included his wedding and helping the U.S. win its first men’s world championship since 1933. And with hopes of playing in next February’s Winter Olympics fueling him, he’s confident he can bring that international success to his NHL club.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I’m going to be thinking about it every day all year,” Werenski said. “It’s one of those things where if I am thinking about it and I’m playing well enough to make that team, ultimately I’m helping the team here in Columbus. And that’s my goal.”
