Columbus Blue Jackets
Eastern Conference - Metropolitan division
Predicted Finish: 8th
CAN THE JACKETS WIN FOR JOHNNY THIS CAMPAIGN?
The sports world was rocked with news of the passing of Columbus star Johnny Gaudreau over the summer.
Now, the Blue Jackets need to pick up the pieces without their leading scorer from '23-24. It will be up to veterans such as captain Boone Jenner, defensemen Zach Werenski, Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov, plus new president of hockey operations/GM Don Waddell and new head coach Dean Evason to lead them through these difficult times. Columbus has a strong base of youthful talent that the club might need to rely upon more quickly than anticipated. It may be an especially difficult situation this season for Jackets newcomer Sean Monahan (one of Gaudreau's closest friends) and defenseman Erik Gudbranson, another Gaudreau teammate from their days in Calgary.
Rest in peace, ''Johnny Hockey.''
Boone Jenner
Forecasts
Centers
2024-25
Last 3 Seasons
| Rank | Name, Age | GP | G | A | PTS | PPG | 23-24 | 22-23 | 21-22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | A. Fantilli, 20 | 82 | 23 | 30 | 53 | 0.65 | 49 / 0.55 | NCAA | USHL | + |
| 58 | S. Monahan, 30 | 76 | 18 | 28 | 46 | 0.61 | 83 / 0.71 | 25 / 0.68 | 65 / 0.35 | |
| 126 | S. Kuraly, 31 | 70 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 0.21 | 62 / 0.29 | 71 / 0.28 | 77 / 0.39 | + $ |
Wingers
| Rank | Name, Age | GP | G | A | PTS | PPG | 23-24 | 22-23 | 21-22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93 | K. Marchenko, 24 | 80 | 25 | 22 | 47 | 0.59 | 78 / 0.54 | 59 / 0.42 | KHL | |
| 61 | B. Jenner, 31 | 74 | 24 | 20 | 44 | 0.59 | 58 / 0.60 | 68 / 0.66 | 59 / 0.75 | + |
| 109 | Y. Chinakhov, 23 | 81 | 21 | 22 | 43 | 0.53 | 53 / 0.55 | 30 / 0.43 | 62 / 0.23 | + |
| 119 | D. Voronkov, 24 | 81 | 20 | 20 | 40 | 0.49 | 75 / 0.45 | KHL | KHL | $ |
| 133 | K. Johnson, 21 | 80 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 0.46 | 42 / 0.38 | 79 / 0.51 | 9 / 0.33 | + |
| 80 | C. Sillinger, 21 | 80 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 0.44 | 77 / 0.42 | 64 / 0.17 | 79 / 0.39 | |
| 200 | J. Danforth, 31 | 79 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 0.28 | 71 / 0.37 | 6 / 0.50 | 45 / 0.31 | + $ |
| 234 | G. Brindley*, 20 | 58 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 0.28 | 1 / 0.00 | NCAA | USHL |
Defensemen
| Rank | Name, Age | GP | G | A | PTS | PPG | 23-24 | 22-23 | 21-22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Z. Werenski, 27 | 71 | 10 | 48 | 58 | 0.82 | 70 / 0.81 | 13 / 0.62 | 68 / 0.71 | + |
| 63 | D. Severson, 30 | 72 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 0.42 | 67 / 0.42 | 81 / 0.41 | 80 / 0.58 | + |
| 73 | I. Provorov, 27 | 82 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 0.34 | 82 / 0.39 | 82 / 0.33 | 79 / 0.39 | $ |
| 96 | D. Jiricek, 20 | 80 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 0.29 | 43 / 0.23 | 4 / 0.00 | CZECHIA | |
| 123 | J. Harris, 24 | 82 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 0.23 | 56 / 0.25 | 65 / 0.26 | 10 / 0.10 | + $ |
| 173 | E. Gudbranson, 32 | 69 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 0.17 | 78 / 0.33 | 70 / 0.19 | 78 / 0.22 |
Goaltenders
| Rank | Name, Age | GP | W | SO | GAA | Sv% | 23-24 | 22-23 | 21-22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | D. Tarasov, 25 | 43 | 17 | 1 | 3.12 | 0.905 | 24 / 8 | 17 / 4 | AHL | + $ |
| 52 | E. Merzlikins, 30 | 42 | 14 | 0 | 3.39 | 0.89 | 41 / 13 | 30 / 7 | 59 27 | + |
Depth Chart
Left Wing |
Center |
Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| A. Fantilli (LW) 1 |
C B. Jenner (C) 2 |
Y. Chinakhov (LW) 1 |
| D. Voronkov 4 | S. Monahan | K. Marchenko 2 |
| J. Danforth (C) | C. Sillinger (C) 1 | K. Johnson (LW) 1 |
| J. Malatesta* 5 | S. Kuraly | M. Olivier |
| M. Pyyhtia (RW) 4 | L. Del Bel Belluz* (LW) 2 | G. Brindley* 2 |
| M. McCue* (C) | H. McKown* | J. Dumais* 3 |
| T. Peddle* (C) 7 | D. Gambrell | C. Butler* |
| M. Rysavy* 7 | O. Sillinger (C) | T. Fix-Wolansky 7 |
Defense |
Goaltender |
Notable Departures |
|---|---|---|
| Z. Werenski 1 | E. Merzlikins 3 | T. Angle (UFA) |
| I. Provorov | D. Tarasov 3 | J. Bean (FA-Cgy) |
| D. Severson | J. Greaves | N. Blankenburg (FA-Nas) |
| E. Gudbranson | N. Lalonde* | A. Boqvist (FA-Fla) |
| J. Harris | Z. Sawchenko | J. Gaudreau (Deceased) |
| D. Jiricek 1 | S. Ivanov* 5 | B. Gaunce (FA-Min) |
| J. Johnson | M. Strahl* 5 | P. Laine (T-Mtl) |
| D. Mateychuk 1 | E. Gardner* 2 | C. Meyer (FA-Ana) |
| S. Svozil* 3 | A. Nylander (FA-AHL) | |
| C. Ceulemans* 1 | M. Subban (UFA) | |
| S. Knazko* 3 | A. Texier (T-StL) |
Forecasts: *: Rookie; 
: injury concern; 
: contract year (UFA in 2025);
: Must-draft player Last 3 season stats: GP and PPG for skaters, GP and W for goalies; Rank is based on PPG or Ws compared to players in the same position. Age as of October 10, 2024.
Depth Chart: (Secondary Position); *: Rookie; 
: Team captain; Orange denotes off-season acquisition via free agency or trade; 1 to 9: Organizational draft pick with round selected.
Lines: Projected lines, pairs and units are for the majority of the season, not neccesarily opening night; 2023-24 Power Play TOI and G-A-PTS in parenthesis
Projected Lines/Pairs
Power Play Units
| Forwards | Defense |
|---|---|
| Y. Chinakhov - S. Monahan - K. Marchenko | Z. Werenski - D. Jiricek |
| A. Fantilli - B. Jenner - K. Johnson | I. Provorov - D. Severson |
| D. Voronkov - C. Sillinger - G. Brindley | J. Harris - E. Gudbranson |
| J. Danforth - S. Kuraly - M. Olivier |
| First Unit | Second Unit |
|---|---|
| S. Monahan (3:15, 9-12-21) | B. Jenner (2:45, 5-3-8) |
| Z. Werenski (2:44, 2-10-12) | D. Severson (1:08, 0-3-3) |
| K. Marchenko (2:27, 9-4-13) | K. Johnson (2:10, 0-0-0) |
| Y. Chinakhov (1:53, 1-1-2) | D. Voronkov (1:59, 6-2-8) |
| A. Fantilli (2:16, 1-2-3) | C. Sillinger (0:48, 1-0-1) |