The CBJ Writer

Last season, 2024-25, Zach Werenski earned his first Norris Trophy nomination after becoming the highest-scoring defenseman in Columbus Blue Jackets history. He closed out the season with 82 points, consisting of 23 goals and 59 assists. His plus/minus was also an outstanding +12. Unfortunately, Cale Makar would beat out Zach in the final vote after his 30-goal and 62-assist campaign with the Colorado Avalanche. He accomplished that 92-point season with a plus/minus of +28. He certainly earned the Norris Trophy. I'll never discredit that. However, Cale had a more formed team around him than Zach, in my opinion. This season was a fresh start, and although our Blue Jackets fell short of the postseason again, Zach did not disappoint in his scoring or leadership ability. Am I proud? Yes. Surprised? Absolutely not.  This season, Zach finished with 81 points, consisting of 22 goals and 59 assists. His plus/minus was a +7. Not as high as last season, but still impressive for a defenseman ...

June 26th, the Columbus Blue Jackets will pick 14th overall in Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft. Personally, although the pick number is important, I care more that we have Rick Bowness locked in as head coach next season. It will be nice watching our general manager, Don Waddell, have a head coach from the start of the offseason who witnessed what worked and didn't work last season. The two clearly work well together and have a shared vision of where this team needs to go. If they didn't, Rick wouldn't be coming back! Our returning head coach will have a hand in players being signed back to the team, for those needing new contracts or extensions, as well as who we will pick in the draft. He's already had a say in coaching changes, too. I can't wait to see how Don Waddell and Rick Bowness use this pick and the offseason to shape the future of our Columbus Blue Jackets. For the highs after Rick arrived, there was a crash and burn low towards the end of the season. I wan...

Introduction and Rick Bowness Staying: I waited a week to write this so my thoughts and feelings about the season could sink in and not be spur-of-the-moment. I also wanted to see what our General Manager, Don Waddell, would decide regarding keeping Rick Bowness as head coach following his blunt and emotional remarks to the media after Tuesday's final game and loss in Nationwide Arena. Rick Bowness made news across the world with his comments of frustration and how he'd change the culture if brought back. I know that sounds dramatic to say 'across the world', but nearly every hockey creator I follow on TikTok posted remarks about his comments, and although the Blue Jackets aren't these creators' primary team, they expressed support for his reaction and hoped he'd be hired back. This doesn't include media outlets like ESPN and the New York Times also writing articles about his emotional response to what had been a remarkable and inspired turn around sicne...

The team, coaches, and fans alike are sad to see the 25th season of Columbus Blue Jackets' hockey end after 82 games. That said, I'm proud of this team. Even if we lost tonight, it would be our first season with over 90 points since the 2018-19 season. The Eastern Division was stacked this year, and many good teams with high point totals are not going to the postseason. Sadly, we are one of them, in a world of ifs, buts, and whats. Things might have been different. That is not reality, though, and in the one we are in, I'm proud of this team. We're seeing improvement with each season, and I can't wait to see what the 26th season holds for our Blue Jackets. That said, we have to wrap up the 25th season first. So, here's the last game recap for our quarter-century celebration season, 5th Line!  This game would showcase two teams reeling from being eliminated from the playoffs with one game to play. If I'm being honest, I expected more of a spark from the Washi...

The Blue Jackeets come home for their last two games of the season. Tonight, the first, is our night. Happy 5th Line Night, Blue Jackets fans! With former Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo in net for the Bruins and Jet Greaves in our net, the puck would drop at 6:00 p.m. The 2 points on the line for the game tonight would keep our Blue Jackets in the playoff hunt, while the Bruins punched their ticket last night in the Wild Card 1 spot. Without a win tonight, it would be nearly impossible for us to take the Philadelphia Flyers 3rd spot in the Metropolitan Division. They have 94 points. We have 92. It's put up or shut up time, and this is how tonight went.  Mason Marchment would make the cannon go to work early in Period 1, adding goal number nineteen to his season at 3:50! Dante Fabbro would add his sixth assist this season on the primary, while our captain, Boone Jenner, would add assist twenty-five to his season on the secondary. But, of course, the fact that the Bruins are in...

The last three games of this season are must-wins for our Columbus Blue Jackets for a few reasons. First, this is our last road game of the regular season, and our last regular-season game against a Canadian team. Second, we're still in a race for a spot in the 2026 NHL playoffs. Third, even if we can't get in, the momentum from these last games will carry over into the franchise's 26th season. Fourth, our team has performed well enough that players can be nominated for NHL Honours. For example, our captain, Boone Jenner, has been nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy already this week. Speaking of Boone Jenner, guess who scored first tonight?  Our captain would kick off the goal-scoring tonight on the road at 1:13 with goal number twelve of his season! The tip-in goal would give Zach Werenski his fifty-ninth assist this season on the primary, while Danton Heinen added his fourth assist this season on the secondary. Not long af...