2025-2026 End of Season Wrap-up: Columbus Blue Jackets

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 he took over behind the bench, just for it to end in a losing streak. So, saying 'across the world' seems appropriate here. 

I could not have agreed more with what Rick Bowness said. For the first time since I began covering this team in May 2020, I had faith in the direction a coach wanted to take our Blue Jackets team in because he laid it out for all of us right there in his final post-game press conference of the season. If you haven't seen the post-game I'm referring to, look it up; it won't be hard to find. I applaud Don Waddell's guts to make the decision to have Rick Bowness brought back as head coach, giving him a contract before the week was up. I love having a general manager who is thoughtful, but also doesn't waste time when a decision needs to be made, and the clear answer is before him. In Don we trust. Further, it's comforting knowing that we have a head coach set for next season, as they (Rick Bowness) can be involved in decisions regarding next season from the get-go. Next season, we will play two extra games for an 84-game season. This will make training camp shorter. In addition, the break in February won't be as long since it won't be an Olympic year. Our team needs to decide what players will be brought back and who we will let walk. Our team needs to decide what our draft wish list is. Our team needs to work out what went wrong and how to correct it ahead of the first 84-game regular season so it doesn't happen again. Having Rick Bowness in place for all of that now is putting us in the best position we could be in this off-season, of that I'm sure. 

The Losing Streak and How the Season Ended:

Now that we've covered our head coach returning, let's talk about how the season ended. Many players expressed regret over how the season concluded, taking responsibility. I respect this, but, as Rick Bowness stated in his final post-game press conference, the mentality needs to change. This is our second year in a row of barely missing the playoffs due to an end-of-season losing streak. Of course, it's easy for me to point that out when I'm not in the locker room. That said, I may not have been in this locker room, but I have been in ones of my own, and stopping a losing streak is harder than some fans realize. For example, Kirill Marchenko had a painful no-goals streak at the end of the season. He went nearly a month without scoring a one, and towards the end, before he scored another, the frustration was all over his face. Most of the men on this team were trying their best to score and win games, but it just so happened that our final games were against teams already in the playoffs or teams fighting us to get into the playoffs. As such, all of these teams had at least one stellar goaltender who loved irritating our men. Some see this point as an excuse. It is not; it's a fact. Were there a few games that our team let slip away? Sure. That didn't happen in every game in the losing streak, however, and I want to make that known in this season wrap-up.  To paraphrase Rick Bowness, he highlighted that 'some' of these players should be thankful that there's no practice tomorrow. He said 'some', not all. Also, I'd like to give Rick Bowness another level of credit before we move on. The way he was upset and still handled this post-game with grace, calling out his team but not throwing individual players into the flames of media scrutiny, is what a coach should do. I'm proud he's still ours because he knows what needs to be fixed, but the media doesn't need to drag certain players through the mud and use his words as a citation. Kudos, Rick. Aside from that, my main point in this paragrap his that losing streaks suck, and although to us fans on the outside looking in, the solutions may be simple, our men can only persist so long before frustration takes over and things get worse. Many players highlighted this as a 'spiral' during their exit interviews, and I can't think of a better word for it. A player or two hitting a brick wall is easy to right. You can shake up lines or healthy scratch them until their headspace is right. However, when it's the executive team, even the best leaders will find it impossible to right the ship. It's a good reason why solidifying your dominance from the start is so valuable, because if you put yourself in the spot that the Carolina Hurricanes did, you don't have to worry about the final games. They weren't flawless by any means, but they won enough in the beginning to where the playoff push didn't involve anything but what seat they'd hold in the postseason. I want that for us next year, and again, with Rick Bowness in place, I feel we already have a skate in that direction. He knows what needs to be fixed, and the players expressed their desire to have him stay. The knowledge Rick has, and the relationship between him and the players being solidified, is huge.

Columbus Blue Jackets Restricted Free Agents:

Adam Fantilli:

It's no secret that I wanted Adam Fantilli over Connor Bedard in the 2023 NHL Draft. Connor Bedard is talented, but I felt Adam Fantilli wasn't getting the spotlight he deserved due to everyone putting it on Connor Bedard. Adam Fantilli's rookie season was cut short when his calf was sliced by a player's skate midgame. He went 12-15-27 in 49 games that season. In his last two seasons, he's played the full 82 games. In 2024-25, he went 31-23-54. This season, he went 24-35-59. He's improved with each season. Also, with his confidence in front of a camera, and early skill on the ice, I still believe he could be a captain someday. I'd absolutely sign him back.  

Jet Greaves:

YES, I love to think about how Jet Greaves went undrafted and how it should keep some general managers up at night! In 2022-23 and 2023-24, Jet was brought up when our other two goaltenders, Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins, were injured or sick. He didn't really get his chance to shine until Joonas Korpisalo was traded to the L.A. Kings in the 2024-25 season, and the team wanted to see how he'd do with an extended stay in Columbus, backing up Elvis Merzlikins. Spoiler alert, he did amazing. He'd play 11 games that season, finishing with a 7-2-2 record. His goals against average was 1.91, and his save percentage was .938. His future was sealed, especially after his 7-0 shutout of the Washington Capitals late in the season. He was made the permanent backup to Elvis Merzlikins this season, and quickly cemented his spot as more than that. He would start 53 of the Blue Jackets' 82 games, finishing 26-9-9. His goals against average would be a 2.60, and his save percentage a respectable .908. He's a UFA, so Don has time to iron out a good contract for him. That said, he'd still be one of my first to lock down. 

Cole Sillinger: 

Cole Sillinger has had his ups and downs, mainly due to recovering from a concussion a few seasons ago. That said, he's back to being the Silly we know and love. He's a nice pocket ace, flying under the radar, a sniper with assists. He played in 81 games this season, finishing with an 8-25-33. Every team needs a player who can throw hits and give assists, but score a nasty goal when needed, too. Cole Sillinger does that, and if the price is right, yes, I would keep him. 

Egor Zemula: 

Egor Zemula was picked up in a trade this season from the Philadelphia Flyers. In 20 games, he had 2 assists. If he were okay with a two-way deal, I'd keep him. If not, I'd wish him well and hope he finds luck with another NHL team. 

Columbus Blue Jackets' Unrestricted Free Agents:       

Boone Jenner: 

This is a hard one. Our captain, Boone Jenner, is an unrestricted free agent. I'll start out by saying that I respect the hell out of this man. He's been through injuries, personal and professional loss, and point droughts on this team, but he handled it with the grace of a leader any franchise should be jealous of. This man has had a broken jaw, back injury, his wife and he suffered the loss of a pregnancy, had a son, and he carried this team through the loss of teammate and friend Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. This just names a few of the trials and tribulations Boone and his family have experienced while the leader of our team. 

Boone has only ever been a Blue Jacket, being drafted in round 2 in 2011. He holds the record for most games played by a Blue Jacket, currently sitting at 808. He's a finalist this season for the Bill Masterton Trophy and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. This season, he appeared in 67 games, finishing with a 13-25-28 record. He scored that last goal of his season in our loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night. Further, it was the only goal scored that night.  

Boone has been our captain since October 2021. The idea of us not screaming BOOOOOONE at the top of our lungs as a fanbase is sad to me, I won't lie. When asked about changing the culture in his exit interview, Rick Bowness stated that he didn't want to get hung up on who is wearing the C or A's. I agree, if you're in that locker room, you need to be a leader to some copasity. That said, with a culture change, 9/10 times we see a change in the captain. Boone has remained captain with Brad Larson, Mike Babcock (who didn't coach a game), Pascal Vincent, and Dean Evanson. You could argue that maybe a change in captain might help this team change the rhetoric in the locker room. You could also argue that it might not have the desired effect. What I'm getting at here is that of all things that are cut and dry, this is not for me. I could see Boone not being signed to a new deal and a new captain being named. I could see Boone being signed to a 1 or 2-year deal to see if his returning as captain and working with Rick Bowness from the start of the season changes everything, because, for a lot of the time after Rick was hired, it did. A small part of me also wonders if Boone would give up being captain, but sign to stay here in Columbus. I find it highly unlikely, but anything is possible. 

What I can say is what I did at the beginning of Boone's review; I respect the hell out of him. If this was his final season as a Blue Jacket and our captain, I tip my hat to him on an incredible run with both our team and the title. I would also consider getting his jersey, as he's the only captain I've known covering this team. I know that Don and Rick will make the best decision they can, given the information before them regarding Boone and the captainship. I, for one, can't wait to see what they decide.  

Charlie Coyle:

If I could have 14 of him, I'd take every one every time. Charlie spent 7 seasons with the Minnesota Wild, 6.5 seasons with the Boston Bruins, and about half a season with the Colorado Avalanche before making his way to Columbus for this season. At 34 years old, he played all 82 games this season. In those games, he tallied 20 goals, 38 assists, for a total of 58 points. Some argue that this season was a fluke because he was on a high from playing his 1,000th game in the NHL. I think that's dumb reasoning to diminish a man's accomplishments. I believe that if we sign Charlie back, we'll see an equal to, if not greater, season than this one. I also believe that if we don't, Boston, Colorado, or Minnesota will come knocking and take back what they had. Nope! I want him back, now. 

Mason Marchment: 

In what might have been the best trade during the season, Mason Marchment came to us halfway through the season from the Seattle Kraken. The 'In Don we trust' slogan really paid off with this one. He was only here for 39 games and finished with a 15-17-32. In the best way, it felt like he was here longer! The man has an exergy like Charlie Coyle. He just has this zest for playing and gives his best in damn near every game he plays. I really hope we see him back in 2026-27. 

Danton Heinen:

Although he got hot toward the end of the season, he appeared in 35 games and finished with a 5-5-10. I wish him the best of luck, but I don't see him returning as a Blue Jacket. 

Brendan Smith: 

Brendan Smith played in just 15 games this season and produced 2 assists. Again, I wish him luck, but I don't see us signing him to a new contract for the 2026-27 NHL season. 

Zach Aston-Reese:

Zach Aston-Reese spent a lot of time in Cleveland with our AHL Monsters. He played 27 games there, with an 8-8-16 record, and 27 games here in Columbus with the Blue Jackets, finishing with a 1-4-5 record. If we could keep him as a two-way player for a year or two, I wouldn't hate the idea of keeping him around. He'd be a great veteran presence for our young Monsters, and an easy call-up for our Blue Jackets if needed. 

Erik Gudbranson: 

This one hurts, but I don't see Erik Gudbranson being offered a new contract. I hate that he's been so injury-prone the last two seasons because, when he can play, he does well. In 37 games this season, he had only 1 goal and 2 assists. He's a great defenseman, and I wish him nothing but the best because I hate to see him leave, but I think he will.

My Final Thoughts: 

It's comforting knowing that the head coach we got halfway through the season, who won here until we glitched at the end, and who cares about this team, will be back. That said, his return is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to work this offseason for the Columbus Blue Jackets. In my mind, we've been in a rebuild for a long time. I want to see us keep key parts of this lineup because, before we crashed out at the end of this season, the team worked under Rick Bowness' leadership. If he can shift the culture, and I think that's already begun, I believe this team can accomplish what it's been hunting for years: A dominating regular season and playoff push. This team will look different next season, it always does. What I can say that I haven't said recently is how I wish the season weren't over, and next year at this time, I can confidently say that I don't think it will be.  

Once more, happy 25th anniversary, 5th Line, and cheers to Season 26 that began Wednesday at midnight. 

GO CBJ!