The CBJ Writer

 A disclaimer before we begin. I study this team and keep up with press releases. I am not on the inside. I am just a thoughtful fan who is often optimistically realistic. Also, anything I say about players in this post is strictly business. I shouldn't have to say this, but my loyal readers know how much I care about every player on this team. If you're new here, now you know. You don't have to agree with me, but if I were in charge of the Columbus Blue Jackets, this is what I'd do regarding our outstanding decisions.  Captain This is a big debate amongst fans. Honestly, around the March trade deadline, I was wondering if Boone Jenner would be dealt. He wasn't and finished out what would ultimately be his final season as the leader of our Blue Jackets. I wish him nothing but the best in Washington, and am very eager to see how he fits in. That said, it was clear a new leader would be named for the 2026-27 season. My mind was set on who would take that 'C': ...

I know this is a little late, but news broke yesterday while I was at work that Cole Sillinger agreed to a new contract with our Columbus Blue Jackets! It's great seeing another contract get done before arbitration could happen. This contract covers his next three seasons in the NHL, through the franchise's 2028-29 season, and sees him make roughly $4.625 million each season. I've seen some question paying #4 this much. In my mind, this is why he's worth keeping and paying.  Last season, he missed only one game, posting an 8-25-33 in 81 games. He's shown consistency, averaging 31-33 points in four of his five seasons with Columbus. The only season he didn't was 2022-23, when he dealt with a rough injury that cost him about 1/4th of the regular season. That season, he finished with a 3-8-11 in 64 games. This leads into my next point, showcasing his resilience and handling of adversity, because he returned in 2023-24 with 77 games played and a point breakdown of 1...

With the Columbus Blue Jackets offering $ 2.8 million a season, and Jet Greaves asking for $ 7.5 million a season, it appeared as if arbitration was the only way to settle a contract. Before that could happen, however, the two parties came to an agreement early today that will see Jet Greaves make $5 million a year for the next 3 years. I think it's a fair contract and a good meet-in-the-middle price for a goaltender full of promise.  Jet, who will turn 26 on August 30th, started 53 of the 55 games he appeared in last season. His record was 26-19-9. Considering it was his first full season in the NHL, it's impressive to see his talent we saw at the tail end of the 2024-25 season carry over. His record that year was 7-2-2 after starting 11 games. He also stayed consistent in save percentage, having a .928 in 2024-25 and a .908 in 2025-26.  But, Heather, those numbers are far apart. Sure, but when you account for 11 games compared to 55, the sample size grew, but he was still ab...

Well, I'm glad we all didn't panic! Seriously, though, I think Zach Werenski is a genius, or this was the worst game of NHL Telephone in the history of the Columbus Blue Jackets. After much drama and panic, Zach Werenski turned down a deal late Tuesday night that would've sent him to the Dallas Stars. Then, yesterday, in the middle of the 2026 free agency frenzy, he reversed course and said he wanted to stay in Columbus after talking to GM Don Waddell. I have many theories as to what happened. We'll never know if any are right, but here you go, for fun.  1) Zach Werenski wanted to prove how desirable he is to the front office, coaching staff, and fellow players. So, he did this as a way to prove a point that he can leave and will if the team doesn't figure it out in the 2026-27 season. (This is where I'd consider him a genius because, although I have faith in this team, they do need to wake up. We're good, and glitches at the end have caused us to trip the f...

So, current me hates me from last Thursday, who promised you all a post summing up the last week and my thoughts ahead of free agency. I do this before free agency every year, but in recent years, it's mostly been coaching changes and a few players leaving during free agency. I was put at ease with the organization's quick choice to keep Head Coach Rick Bowness here another season, just days after the prior one ended. Why was I put at ease? Well, I thought we were due for an offseason where we built this team, maybe moved a free agent or two, and sat back and watched other teams with worse performances last season have drama for once. But, apparently not! I don't know if you can tell by my time posting this, but I've been avoiding writing this blog, and it seems the longer I avoid it, the worse things get. Last Thursday, I was optimistic and trying to poke holes in rumors. Today, if I'm being honest, I'm confused, shocked, hurt, and in denial.  Let's start o...

A lot has happened over the last few days across the league and for our Columbus Blue Jackets. I will do a full wrap-up of everything and post it on Tuesday, ahead of free agency, because I don't think Don Waddell is done. Also, there are a lot of rumors flying around regarding players like Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko, and I want to see if we get more details before then. Tonight, it's not about anything other than our 1st round pick in this 2026 NHL Entry Draft, and it's Oscar Hemming!  Oscar is from Finland and traveled to the United States to play for Boston College this past season. He appeared in only 19 games this season, but achieved a goal and seven assists for eight points. At 6'4, and 204 pounds, as of right now, I think that's pretty good for such a large transition at just 17 years old! "Physical, skillful, winger" was how Oscar described his game when asked by Dylan Tryer on the 97.1 The Fan Draft Show. He also said he modeled his game ...