One of the more overlooked stories in the 2024-25 NHL season, is the unexpected season that the Columbus Blue Jackets are having. In the past 3 years, the Blue Jackets finished no higher than 21st in the entire league, missing the playoffs by a good margin. This season, Columbus is unexpectedly fighting for a playoff spot in a busy Metropolitan Division.

After an unexpected offseason that included losing a beloved member of the hockey community, Johnny Gaudreau, the Blue Jackets weren’t expected to have as good of a season as they currently are having. They’ve seen their young guys such as Adam Fantilli, and Kent Johnson step up and take control of the game, both players having career years in the process. This team has also seen Zach Werenski take the next step into the conversation of being one of the league’s best defenders, scoring at a point-per-game pace this season. Players like Kirill Marchenko and Sean Monahan are also having great years, propelling the Blue Jackets into the playoff race for the first time in 5 years.

Columbus’ future is bright as well. As it was previously mentioned, Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson are apart of the shining future that the Jackets have. Aside from their two stars, the Blue Jackets have Cole Sillinger, Yegor Chinakhov, and the previously mentioned Kirill Marchenko, as well as Gavin Brindley sitting in the AHL ready to make some noise.

Columbus is tight in the hunt for the final wild card spot in the eastern conference, battling with Montreal, the Islanders, and the Ottawa Senators for the wild card positions. Columbus just came off of breaking a six-game losing streak, and they hope to turn on the jets and propel past all of the aforementioned teams. The unfortunate part, is that the Blue Jackets have one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league, which will make it even harder for this team to return to the playoffs for the first time since the COVID-shortened year. They have 3 games remaining against the Ottawa Senators, as well as their final game of the regular season against the Islanders. Not to mention they also have to face the Maple Leafs, the Capitals, and the Avalanche in the coming weeks.

Regardless of what happens in the next three weeks, the season that the Blue Jackets are having is one to remember. The odds that they have had to overcome over the last year are unmeasurable, and they have proved not only to themselves, but the entire NHL that they are not going to go away quietly. With the team that they have in front of them and the prospects they have loaded in their system, it is only a matter of time until the Columbus Blue Jackets are doing damage in the Metropolitan Division.