Columbus Blue Jackets (Official Thread)

[Mike80]

Just sayin': According to this site the Blue Jackets are $12,325,353 under the salary cap.

https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/yearly

Did they even try to get a good free agent for this season?

NHL Free Agent Tracker | NHL.com

Comprehensive list of signings by team, available players

www.nhl.com

NHL Free Agent Tracker​

Comprehensive list of signings by team, available players

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS​

Signed​

Provorov signs 7-year contract with Blue Jackets
Sillinger signs 1-year contract with Blue Jackets
Lundestrom signs 2-year contract with Blue Jackets
Voronkov signs 2-year contract with Blue Jackets
Mayo signs 1-year contract with Blue Jackets
Pyyhtia signs 1-year contract with Blue Jackets
Hunt signs 1-year contract with Blue Jackets
Fasching signs 1-year contract with Blue Jackets

Free Agents​

Group 2 Restricted Free Agents: Daemon Hunt (re-signed), Mikael Pyyhtia (re-signed), Dmitri Voronkov (re-signed).

Group 3 Unrestricted Free Agents: Justin Danforth (signed: BUF), Christian Fischer (retired), Dylan Gambrell, Jack Johnson (signed: PTO with MIN), Luke Kunin (signed: FLA), Sean Kuraly (signed: BOS), Kevin Labanc (signed: PTO with CAR), Joseph LaBate (signed: VAN), Ivan Provorov (re-signed), Owen Sillinger (re-signed), James van Riemsdyk (signed: DET).

Group 6 Unrestricted Free Agents: Trey Fix-Wolansky (signed: NYR).

Unrestricted Free Agents (did not receive qualifying offer): Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm (signed: Cleveland of AHL), Cole Clayton (signed: SJS), Jordan Harris (signed: BOS), Samuel Knazko (signed: Vitkovice of Czechia).

So for the first part - it takes two to tango. Players have to want to play in Columbus for them to sign.

The other thing is this team doesn't have a personnel problem as much as it has a maturity problem. The younger guys especially need to learn how to finish games because that's clearly an issue this season.

Does the roster still need improvement? Yes. And it will be once Elvis's stupid contract isn't around anymore. I thought they might be a year away going into the season and they've mostly underperformed. The talent is there, I think, but they aren't quite getting the job done for whatever reason.

The real issue is the 3rd period leads lost. Every team is going to lose some of these games, and I'm not too worried about losing a game that is 1-0 or 2-1 going into the 3rd. Those are going to happen. It's the multi-goal blown leads that are killing them. Here's a partial list mostly from memory but with a scenario from GoogleAI

• November 10, 2025 @ Edmonton Oilers: The Blue Jackets blew two separate two-goal leads in the third period and lost 5-4 in overtime (OT).
• November 15, 2025 vs. New York Rangers: Columbus held a 1-0 lead in the third period but allowed the tying goal and lost 2-1 in a shootout (SO).
• November 22, 2025 @ Detroit Red Wings: The team surrendered a two-goal third-period lead and lost 4-3 in overtime.
• November 26, 2025 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: Columbus led 1-0 late into the third period but allowed a tying goal and lost 2-1 in overtime.
• November 28, 2025 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Blue Jackets lost a 3-1 lead in the third period, eventually losing 4-3 in overtime.
• December 6, 2025 @ Florida Panthers: Columbus blew a multi-goal third-period lead in a high-scoring game and lost 7-6 in overtime.
• December 13, 2025 vs. Vegas Golden Knights: Yegor Chinakhov scored early in the third period for a 2-1 lead, but the team surrendered two goals to lose 3-2 in regulation.
• December 20, 2025 @ Anaheim Ducks: The Blue Jackets held a lead in the third period but eventually lost 4-3 in overtime.
• December 31, 2025 vs. New Jersey Devils: Columbus held a 2-0 lead entering the third period but allowed three unanswered goals and lost 3-2 in regulation.
• January 4, 2026 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Blue Jackets blew a three-goal third-period lead and ultimately lost 5-4 in overtime.

The 3 games in red were games that "happen" to everyone.

If they just hold on to win the multi-goal leads, which should be every "good" team, that's at least 8 more points, and those 8 points would have them as the 2 seed in the Metro.

=================================

Just sayin' - it's not the roster, it's how the team finishes games. Something has to change.

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

So for the first part - it takes two to tango. Players have to want to play in Columbus for them to sign.

The other thing is this team doesn't have a personnel problem as much as it has a maturity problem. The younger guys especially need to learn how to finish games because that's clearly an issue this season.

Does the roster still need improvement? Yes. And it will be once Elvis's stupid contract isn't around anymore. I thought they might be a year away going into the season and they've mostly underperformed. The talent is there, I think, but they aren't quite getting the job done for whatever reason.

The real issue is the 3rd period leads lost. Every team is going to lose some of these games, and I'm not too worried about losing a game that is 1-0 or 2-1 going into the 3rd. Those are going to happen. It's the multi-goal blown leads that are killing them. Here's a partial list mostly from memory but with a scenario from GoogleAI

• November 10, 2025 @ Edmonton Oilers: The Blue Jackets blew two separate two-goal leads in the third period and lost 5-4 in overtime (OT).
• November 15, 2025 vs. New York Rangers: Columbus held a 1-0 lead in the third period but allowed the tying goal and lost 2-1 in a shootout (SO).
• November 22, 2025 @ Detroit Red Wings: The team surrendered a two-goal third-period lead and lost 4-3 in overtime.
• November 26, 2025 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: Columbus led 1-0 late into the third period but allowed a tying goal and lost 2-1 in overtime.
• November 28, 2025 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Blue Jackets lost a 3-1 lead in the third period, eventually losing 4-3 in overtime.
• December 6, 2025 @ Florida Panthers: Columbus blew a multi-goal third-period lead in a high-scoring game and lost 7-6 in overtime.
• December 13, 2025 vs. Vegas Golden Knights: Yegor Chinakhov scored early in the third period for a 2-1 lead, but the team surrendered two goals to lose 3-2 in regulation.
• December 20, 2025 @ Anaheim Ducks: The Blue Jackets held a lead in the third period but eventually lost 4-3 in overtime.
• December 31, 2025 vs. New Jersey Devils: Columbus held a 2-0 lead entering the third period but allowed three unanswered goals and lost 3-2 in regulation.
• January 4, 2026 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Blue Jackets blew a three-goal third-period lead and ultimately lost 5-4 in overtime.

The 3 games in red were games that "happen" to everyone.

If they just hold on to win the multi-goal leads, which should be every "good" team, that's at least 8 more points, and those 8 points would have them as the 2 seed in the Metro.

=================================

Just sayin' - it's not the roster, it's how the team finishes games. Something has to change.

You forgot the most egregious where they had a 1-0 lead on the Isles with less than 2 minutes left and lost 2-1 in regulation.

It’s hard to figure what’s wrong. When they were doing this a couple years ago under Larsen, you could see then turtling in the 3rd. Their entire style changed — they made zero attempt to do anything other than clear the zone and make a change. I don’t see that as much under Evason. They still seem to be trying to play their game and get the breakouts going, it just isn’t working.

At some point, it’s just a mental block or something. It’s not like the opponent just magically decides to try harder and the Jackets decide to quit. I think they need a team psychologist more than anything else.

 

[Mike80]

You forgot the most egregious where they had a 1-0 lead on the Isles with less than 2 minutes left and lost 2-1 in regulation.

It’s hard to figure what’s wrong. When they were doing this a couple years ago under Larsen, you could see then turtling in the 3rd. Their entire style changed — they made zero attempt to do anything other than clear the zone and make a change. I don’t see that as much under Evason. They still seem to be trying to play their game and get the breakouts going, it just isn’t working.

At some point, it’s just a mental block or something. It’s not like the opponent just magically decides to try harder and the Jackets decide to quit. I think they need a team psychologist more than anything else.

Well even if I'd remembered it, 1 goal leads are going to lose sometimes, it's just the nature of the game. I mean last night's game against the shitbirds from shitzburgh, they had a 1 goal lead with 13 seconds left - and that was after already blowing 2 of the 3 goal lead.

Just win the multi-goal games and they are easily in the playoffs. It's gotta be a mental thing at this point. It also means that things should even out at some point.