The Columbus Blue Jackets Will be Fun to Watch, But Johnny Gaudreau Doesn't Make Them a Playoff Team

Last summer the New Jersey Devils landed the biggest free agent, and they almost got away with this year's biggest as well. After NJ threw a massive offer at Johnny Gaudreau, the Columbus GM Jarmo Kekäläinen snatched him up at the last second, signing the forward to a massive, $68 million contract to make him a Blue Jacket.

Later in the summer, they re-signed F Patrik Laine to a multi-year contract, who combined with Johnny Gaudreau make a formidable top-line regardless who centers them. Which is good for Columbus because as it stands their top center is Jack Roslovic. No slight to Roslovic, he is a useful player, but he his career high in points is 45, which will almost certainly get eclipsed in 2022-23. While the Blue Jackets added a couple of decent players this summer, let's not forget they were one of the NHL's worst teams in 2021-22:


Had they not been opportunistic, they would have fared far worse than 21st in the NHL standings. They played a run & gun style in which they relied heavily on the rush, and seemingly every time they failed to score, they would surrender a goal. And while the pieces they brought in this summer might individually improve the team, I fail to see why their structural deficiencies last season will automatically improve.


Up front, adding Johnny Gaudreau would stimulate any offense in the NHL, but Columbus is also adding fifth-overall pick Kent Johnson into the fold, and if you don't know Kent Johnson get your head out of the sand and watch this goal:


I would expect their 31st ranked offense to see a jump in production, but if they can't maintain last season's finishing rate, the Blue Jackets are in for a rough time. Outside of Gaudreau, Laine, and Johnson, however, not much stands out about the depth of their offense. And honestly it looks a lot like last year's offense. So how much better are we seriously looking here?

Defensively, they were 31 teams with better expected goals-against than the Blue Jackets, and the only addition they made to their blue-line this summer was Erik Gudbranson, for whom they paid $16 million. To be clear, I have always been a huge Gudbranson guy, but the results speak for themselves:


I compel anyone to argue how that blue-line gets a team to the playoffs.

Goaltending is the a big question mark for the Blue Jackets, just like every other team. Elvis Merzlikins took a step back last season, but there wasn't much defense played in front of him. If he can take command of the season, and sport a .915 SV% or better, Columbus might have a chance at the playoffs. But a betting man wouldn't count on it considering the strength of their division.

Ultimately, I don't see this Blue Jackets group anywhere near the playoffs unless Merzlikins, Gaudreau, Laine, and stud defenseman Zach Werenski carry them there. Which seems less than likely.