The Columbus Blue Jackets missed the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This was not an unexpected result for the franchise. They finished near the bottom of the NHL standings in 2022-23 and made few moves to improve their roster last summer. Still, that kind of awful season could be a thing of the past.
The Blue Jackets have a new head coach in Dean Evason. Evason spent some time with the Minnesota Wild before his appointment. And he helped Minnesota reach the Stanley Cup playoffs several times. Columbus will certainly hope he can bring similar success to Ohio in the coming years.
In NHL free agency, Columbus signed an experienced center to complement the first line. Sean Monahan signed a five-year contract for the 2023/24 season after a comeback season with the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets. He will reunite with Johnny Gaudreau, a former teammate from when the two played for the Calgary Flames.
Monahan is clearly a Blue Jackets veteran who should add value to the team at the top of the lineup. However, there are other experienced players who could make an impact in their roles. Here are two such players that fans should keep an eye on ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Erik Gudbranson had a career year
Erik Gudbranson signed with the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2022. His four-year contract initially put off many fans. The experienced defender was never one of the best defenders in the league. And even as a substitute, he left a lot to be desired on the ice.
Despite initial perceptions, Gudbranson has kicked things up a notch in 2023-24. Gudbranson is coming off a career season for the Blue Jackets. The Ottawa native scored a career-high six goals and 26 points for Columbus last season. He also averaged 19.5 minutes per game in the 78 games he played.
The veteran defenseman made a big impact on defense. According to Evolving Hockey, he had the second-lowest goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 (2.69) among Columbus defensemen. In addition, he also had the second-highest on-ice save percentage (0.921) on the team.
Gudbranson has performed well under the circumstances in Columbus, sometimes having to play higher up the lineup than expected when he was signed. The veteran defenseman should start on the third pair next season. And he could certainly build on his career year in 2023-24.
It is not without reason that Boone Jenner is captain
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When it comes to veteran talent on the Blue Jackets, Boone Jenner often feels left out. Johnny Gaudreau is the team’s marketable star. Sean Monahan is the team’s latest star addition. Gudbranson is coming off a career season and Zach Werenski is starting to break into the veteran category.
Jenner is the team’s captain, though. If the Blue Jackets win the Stanley Cup sometime sooner, Jenner will be the one to hoist it first. And his effectiveness on the ice is certainly notable. According to Evolving Hockey, not a single player wearing a Columbus jersey has scored more goals since 2021-22.
Jenner was limited to just 58 games in the 2023/24 season. Nevertheless, the Columbus captain scored 22 goals and 35 points during that time. According to ESPN, his 22 goals were the second-highest on the team behind Kirill Marchenko. And that despite the fact that Jenner played exactly 20 fewer games than Marchenko.
Jenner may not get a lot of national attention, but he is still a very valuable player for the Blue Jackets. If Columbus wants to make progress next year, Jenner will be a key part of helping the team make the necessary progress on the ice.
