The CBJ Writer

After today's news that Adam Fantilli and the Columbus Blue Jackets reached a deal, paying him $ 13.75 million a season for the next 6 years, the only thing that could make today any better would be a Blue Jackets win. Guess what? It wasn't just a win tonight in Nationwide Arena, but a shutout! Now, is it still preseason? Yes, but when you shut out your rival, it's a win, period.  Zach Werenski would score the first goal of the night, and his preseason,11:48 into period 1! Charlie Elick would add his first preseason assist on the primary, while the secondary would become Dimitri Voronkov's second of the preseason. The period would close with this being the only goal of the game, giving our Blue Jackets a1-0 lead. Shots on goal would be low, with the Blue Jackets leading 5-2.  Newcomer Valeri Nichushkin would add the second goal of the game, with his first goal of the preseason, at 14:47. Dimitri Voronkov would add his second assist of the night, third of the preseason, ...

This game didn't end as the Columbus Blue Jackets wanted. They fell in this game 5-1. That said, the Buffalo Sabers did put many of their stars on the ice tonight, whereas the Columbus Blue Jackets continued with more of a split squad. The opening period was by far the best for the Blue Jackets. Cam Talbot got his first start in net since joining the Blue Jackets last week, and he put on a show. The Sabers had 11 shots on goal, and he denied every single one. Another highlight this period for our Columbus team was that they gave the Sabers three chances on the power play, but denied them scoring each time. This period would end with a 0-0 tie, but that quickly changed over the span of just over two minutes in period 2.  The Blue Jackets would get caught in their end too long, and at 10:12, Josh Norris would cash in with the first goal of his preseason. Owen Power and Konsta Helenius would each add their first assists of the season on the goal. A little over a minute later, at 11:54...

Welcome back, 5th Line! It's finally hockey season again!  The Columbus Blue Jackets had three alternate captains on the ice tonight. A permanent captain has not been announced after Boone Jenner signed with the Washington Capitals this offseason. Tonight, the A's were worn by Dante Fabbro, Mathieu Oliver, and Ivan Proverov. A good mix of veterans led the team tonight, and this will certainly add to the speculation about who might wear the 'C' this season, or if the team may choose to have all 'A's. Time will tell, but the clock is ticking for a final decision to be made! It's important to note that Adam Fantilli hasn't taken part in practice and will not appear in a preseason game until he signs a new contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is a restricted free agent, so we don't have to worry about losing him. What does concern me is the time he's missing on the ice and in the locker room with the team ahead of the regular season. I feel hi...

Yesterday we got an injury update and signing that altered how we thought the Columbus Blue Jackets would look when they took the ice to start the 20226-27 NHL Season. First, we knew that goaltender Elvis Merzlikins had successful shoulder surgery a few weeks ago, but no further details were given. Shortly after failing his physical yesterday, Don Waddell was quoted as saying we wouldn't be seeing our #90 ''in the near future," by Aaron Portszline of the Atlantic. (This was in a post on X 11 hours ago as I type this, on his personal page via @Aportzline.) Shortly after this, the Blue Jackets announced on social media that they had signed 39-year-old goaltender Cam Talbot, which reinforces our GM's comments regarding Elvis Merzlikins injury timeline, or lack thereof. Cam Talbot, in my opinion, was the best option regarding goaltenders looking for a team at the current time. He has immense experience in the league; this will be his fourteenth season. His former teams...

 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...