The CBJ Writer

I've learned something over the roughly two and a half weeks since we lost Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Mathew; I will never be ready to write this blog. I've been avoiding this because my words seem hollow and empty to me; like anything I could say would be redundant and not enough. August 29th, 2024 will forever be burned into my brain alongside July 4th, 2021, the date we lost goaltender, Matiss Kivlenieks, in a firework accident when he used himself to shield others. To say this franchise and its fans have suffered too many tragedies since I started covering the team in May 2020 is an understatement. When we lost 'Kivi' I never imagined doing this again, but I am, and I won't lie to you because I never have; I hate that I have to do this again. My heart is shattered, especially for the Gaudreau family, and I don't think I'll ever find all the pieces. The hockey community will forever be changed by this tragedy. None of us want to accept that this nig

Our last outstanding player in need of an extension's finally signed the dotted line! Cole Sillinger (Center) will be with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the next two NHL Seasons after agreeing to a contract paying him $2.25 million each year. This past season Sillinger bounced back from his 2022-2023 NHL Season where he appeared in 64 games where he had just 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points. It wasn't the second season he wanted after such a successful rookie season where he appeared in 79 games and had 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points. This past season, even with injuries that made him miss games, he appeared in 77 games, hitting the stride of his rookie season with 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points. It's been exciting to watch him overcome adversity on the ice so young. It proves he can do it, and in a town like Columbus that hasn't had the best seasons since he joined us out of the draft, I feel this asset adds to his value. I'm so happy Don Waddell h

We all knew it was on the horizon, but even still, it's bittersweet to see Patrik Laine leaving Columbus. He was a fan favorite, and although it's hard to see him move on, I know the same fans want what's best for him. Over his four seasons with the Blue Jackets, he appeared in 174 games. In that time, he had 64 goals and 74 assists, giving him 138 points in a Blue Jackets jersey. His final of the four seasons was particularly tough, riddled with injuries that came to a concerning conclusion when he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program at the end of January. He was recently cleared to exit the program, but before made his desire clear to move on from Columbus. Today, it was announced he'd get his wish as the Center now heads back to Canada to join the Montreal Canadians.  In the end, Patrik Laine gets the fresh start he needs, and the Columbus Blue Jackets get something they need in return. We lost Laine and our Round 2 Pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, but in retu

Kirill Marchenko, the 24-year-old Blue Jackets Right Winger, has a lot to celebrate tonight after inking a massive deal with the organization today. After Kent Johnson's deal of $5.4 Million over three seasons was announced yesterday, I and others expected a deal for Kirill Marchenko or Cole Sillinger to be announced soon. That said, I don't think anyone saw the payday coming for Kirill Marchenko. Over the next three seasons with the club, he will make an astonishing $11.55 Million. Some fans question why Don Waddell signed him for so much, but when you look at his numbers from this past season, his place here is sealed with a bow unless he wants out of Columbus.  Kirill Marchenko played 78 games in the 2023-24 NHL Season, missing only 4 games. In that time, he scored 42 points for the Blue Jackets, including 23 goals and 19 assists. When you consider that he put up these numbers in just his second NHL season, that's a statement. It's a statemeent of 'I want ice tim

We still have a few lingering players who have finished their entry-level contracts and need a new deal with the Blue Jackets organization. Today, one player was taken off that waiting list. Kent Johnson has taken the Blue Jackets offer deal of $5.4 Million over the next three NHL seasons. It's a great deal for the only player to have ever scored a 'Michigan Goal' and been impactful even as a young player. Sadly, the 21-year-old's season was cut short in 2023-24 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery in early March. That said, in just 42 games, he did have 6 goals and 10 assists with a -2 and just 10 penalty minutes. The season prior, he only missed 3 games, finishing with 16 goals and 24 assists over 79 games with a -19 and 14 penalty minutes. For how young he is, it's evident that if Kent Johnson can return to the ice with a rehabbed shoulder, he'll be a dangerous forward that I'd rather see us play with than against. I look forward to watching him

It's the third time I've written a post like this, and I'm looking forward to not doing so again for some time. No payment amount has been announced, but we do know that Dean Evanson has been contracted by the Columbus Blue Jackets to coach for multiple seasons, starting in 2024-25. Evanson has experience on and off the ice, unlike our recent coach picks. His most recent time behind the bench came coaching the Minnesota Wild, a task he adopted in 2020 as an interim head coach but held onto until 2023. In his time there, he had 147 wins, 77 losses, and 27 overtime losses. They didn't go deep in the playoffs, but it's also worth noting that the Wild did see the postseason for all the years he was interim or head coach. He also had several chances to be named Coach of the Year but fell short in voting for the Jack Adam's Award. Keep in mind that these are just his recent achievements with one team. To read all of his accomplishments, view the article I read here be