The CBJ Writer

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 ...

It's all over, and the Carolina Hurricanes have captured Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time in over two decades! On that team, former Blue Jacket Eric Robinson, who spent his first 7 seasons in the NHL with Columbus after being undrafted. He then spent a season in Buffalo with the Sabers before joining the Hurricanes in Carolina last season. In his first season with the Hurricanes, he played every regular-season game and helped the team get to the playoffs with a 14-18-32 season.  They'd get past the New Jersey Devils and then the Washington Capitals in Rounds 1 and 2 of the playoffs, but fall short to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. Then, as we all know, the Planthers went on to capture their second cup in as many seasons. This season, from the start of the playoffs, though, I think we can all agree that Carolina felt different.  After playing in 67 of the 82 regular-season games, finishing with a 12-6-18, Eric Robinson and the Hurricanes went back...

 I've waited years to say this: Congratulations, Zach Werenski, on winning the 2026 Norris Trophy!  As I stated in the title, Zach's the first Columbus Blue Jacket in team history to win the honor given to the best defenseman in the NHL. We may not have made it to the playoffs at the end of our 25th season, but this honestly feels just as good! This season, Zach finished with a +/- of +7. He appeared in 75 of the Blue Jackets' 82 regular-season games, finishing with 22 goals and 59 assists for 81 points. His 59 assists this season matched the record for most by a Blue Jacket in franchise history. He had more multipoint games than any defenseman in the league this season. And, although not in the NHL, he did have the primary assist on Luke Hughes ' gold medal-winning overtime goal at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Winning the Norris Trophy is the perfect period to a great season for Zach, which also included becoming a dad to son Hudson a couple of weeks ago. I'm ela...

Undrafted Eric Robinson is heading to the Stanley Cup Final with the Carolina Hurricanes! His first season in the National Hockey League was spent in Columbus during the 2017-18 season. He played just one game that season and had zero points. In the 2018-19 season, he appeared in 13 games but again had no points. That all changed during the shortened 2019-20 season. He played 50 games and had 7 goals and 5 assists for 12 points. From that season on, Eric would grow his game and presence, becoming a favorite amongst 5th Line fans.  In his final season wearing a Blue Jackets jersey, 2023-24, he had only one goal in 7 games, but there was heavy debate over whether Eric should stay in Columbus or be traded. Many were shocked to hear that the Sabers acquired him for a measly conditional 7th-round pick. Upon his departure, he appeared in 266 games across 7 seasons in Columbus. He'd total 38 goals and 44 assists for 82 points in those games. He'd spend the rest of that season in Buffa...

IT HAPPENED!  I've waited for this news since Charlie Coyle celebrated his 1,000th NHL Game and went on a point streak that tormented several teams! Don Waddell, Charlie Coyle, and our Blue Jackets organization announced late this morning that Charlie would not just be returning for next season, but for five more seasons after that! Our #3 will make $6 million a season, bringing his total salary to $30 million over his next 6 seasons in the league. He turned 34 in early March, which could very well make this his last contract in the NHL, and I'm so happy we paid him what he was worth and kept him here in Columbus. In Don we trust.  This season, Charlie was one of the few Blue Jackets players to complete the 82-game season. In those 82 games, he finished with 20 goals and 38 assists, giving him 58 points. His plus/minus was a +3 when the regular season concluded in mid-April. Bonus, 7 of those 20 goals were on the power play, and if you're a 5th Line fan, you know the power ...

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...

With 4 games left in this 82-game, 25th-anniversary season for our Columbus Blue Jackets, we're still in the hunt for a playoff spot. Tonight's road game was against a team that's in the playoffs but still in the fight for home-ice advantage. The Buffalo Sabers sit at 104 points, while we sit at 90. It's been 14 years since the Sabers made it to the playoffs, but they're already in, so congratulations to them, but I want those 2 points! Let's recap some hockey, 5th Line!  Period 1 would be impressive on both sides of the ice. You have to give credit where it is due, and the Sabers have come a long way in recent years. That said, so have our Blue Jackets. Both facts were on full display in this opening period. Case in point? The shots on goal at the end of this period were 10-10. The only difference was that Sabers' Josh Norris would pick off a pass from Zach Werenski, charge down the ice, passing to teammate Peyton Krebs, and scoring the opening goal of the ...

Every game is a must-win as our Columbus Blue Jackets continue their chase for a playoff spot. The Blue Jackets would start off well, scoring the first goal in Detroit tonight. Danton Heinon would add goal number six to his season at 2:06! Mason Marchment would come away with the only assist on Danton Heinon's goal, his twenty-fourth of the season. Now, the Red Wings are also pushing for postseason play, and they'd match our goal at 10:27, tying this game at 1-1. Dylan Larkin would add his thirty-first goal to his season on a Red Wings power play as Conor Garland sat in the box for interference against J. T. Compher. Patrick Kane would add his thirty-fifth assist with the primary on this goal, while Moritz Seider would add his forty-sixth assist this season after picking up the secondary. The first period would conclude with that 1-1 tie on the scoreboard, and also a tie in shots on goal, 9-9.  At 6:27 into Period 2, the Red Wings would acquire their first lead of the night, go...

If there was ever a night for our Blue Jackets to right this playoff push ship, it's tonight, at home, against the Jets. It would take seconds for the Blue Jackets to ignite the cannon! Ivan Provorov would score goal number nine of his season just 1:17 into the game! Mason Marchment would add his twenty-third assist this season on the primary, while Kirill Marchenko would add his thirty-eighth assist to his season on the secondary. Believe it or not, the Jets would lead the shots on goal this period, 8-5, but that would be the only goal of the game thus far, meaning our Blue Jackets would hold a one-goal advantage ahead of Period 2.  Our boys would nearly escape this period with that 1-0 lead, but a Jets' takeaway would lead to Kyle Connor's thirty-fifth goal this season, and a 1-1 tie at 18:14. Ugh. Well, the Jets are trying to get to the playoffs, too, so of course they're not going down without a fight! Mark Scheifele would add his fifty-ninth assist this season on t...

"I don't want to write this recap tonight," is what I said to my mom as we finished up dinner, and I saw on my phone that it was now 5-1, Hurricanes.  Both of these teams had something to gain if they won tonight. For the Blue Jackets, it was keeping their Wildcard 2 playoff spot. For the Hurricanes, it was clinching a playoff spot. The Hurricanes are at the top of the top of the Metropolitan division with 100 points, and tonight's game proved why they hold the position.  The Hurricanes would take a 3-0 lead in Period 1. Logan Stankoven would pick up his first goal tonight, his sixteenth this season, at 2:27. K'Andre Miller would add his twenty-seventh assist this season on the primary, while Taylor Hall would add his twenty-sixth assist this season on the secondary. Logan Stankoven would quickly follow this goal up with his second tonight, giving him his seventeenth goal this season, at 8:52. Taylor Hall would add a second assist tonight, his twenty-seventh this ...

Tonight, our Blue Jackets look to close out March with a bang. Well, hopefully more than one, but you get my point, 5th Line. Every game is a must-win as we sit in Wildcard 2 with the potential to jump higher in the standings, but only if we keep getting points.  Tonight's opening period wouldn't be the best for the Blue Jackets. The Hurricanes' Shayne Gostisbehere would add goal thirteen to his season 13:29 into the game, giving his road team a 1-0 lead. Further, this goal would be scored on the power play as Dante Fabbro sat in the box for 2 minutes after he slashed Alexander Nikishin. Nikola Ehlers would add his thirty-ninth assist this season on the primary, while Andrei Svechnikov would add his thirty-seventh assist of his season on the secondary. It wouldn't be long before the Blue Jackets would, unfortunately, find themselves on the penalty kill again, this time with Kent Johnson in the box for high-sticking Hurricanes' Taylor Hall. The situation would yield ...