The Columbus Blue Jackets must win now, as their two top players will be free agents after this season. Can they finally put it all together and win a Stanley Cup?
Just like last year, the Columbus Blue Jackets enter the 2018-19 season with a lot of optimism. But unlike last October, they find themselves under immense pressure. The Blue Jackets made a huge trade last summer, trading for Artemi Panarin. He, along with two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, will be unrestricted free agents after the 2018-19 season.
This means the Blue Jackets have one last chance to win a Stanley Cup with their current window being open – this year. Sure, Columbus has a lot of talent even once you look past Panarin and Bobrovsky. But the Blue Jackets are going to have a hard time replacing both of them.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
While Columbus is under pressure to win, the talent is there to be something special. Aside from Panarin and Bobrovsky, they have Seth Jones and Zach Werenski anchoring their defense. Pierre-Luc Dubois had a surprisingly effective rookie season while Oliver Bjorkstrand appears to be another building block.
This prediction assumes the Blue Jackets hang onto both Panarin and Bobrovsky. It remains to be seen what they will do with them at the trade deadline, but for now, the team owes it to their fans and their players to ice their best team possible. Panarin and Bobrovsky are undeniably a part of that.
Offseason Recap
Additions: F Riley Nash, F Anthony Duclair
Departures: F Matt Calvert, F Thomas Vanek, D Jack Johnson
This was a relatively quiet offseason for the Blue Jackets. However, on paper, they did improve. Nash helps Columbus address their center depth and should be a quality top-nine option for them. Duclair is a bit of a wildcard, but considering he got the league minimum, it’s not hard to see him being a very nice value for the Blue Jackets.