2014-2015 Review:
Last season was supposed to be the season where Columbus challenged for the Metropolitan division but it was the complete opposite. They had the most man games lost during the season and they could never get healthy enough to make a run for the playoffs. They did end up getting healthy towards the end of the season where they went on a nine game winning streak and ended up finishing fifth in the division. This coming season though looks to be much different for them.
New Additions
Brandon Saad: The Blue Jackets shocked everyone a couple days before free agency when they went out and acquired Brandon Saad from the Chicago Blackhawks to bolster their top six. Saad looks like a lock to play with Ryan Johansen who's one of the most underrated centers in the NHL. Saad has the opportunity to have another 20 goal season in the NHL and he should get there if he has a healthy season. The Blue Jackets top six will be scary good when healthy.
Gregory Campbell: After the Blue Jackets let Mark Letestu walk, they had to get another fourth line center. Gregory Campbell looks like he's the guy that's going to be filling his void. He's not that much of a depth scorer and his possession numbers aren't good either but he's a very good penalty killer which could be the biggest reason why Columbus signed him.
Key Losses
Artem Anisimov: Anisimov was part of the Brandon Saad trade and Columbus will be missing his depth scoring that he gave them over the course of his tenure there. It was only two seasons ago where he put up a 22 goal season for the Blue Jackets when he was fully healthy and he should get back to that level especially in Chicago where he's on a much better team.
Marko Dano: Dano was another piece involved in the Saad trade and he's a very good and upcoming player. In his first season with the Blue Jackets, he played 35 games and had eight goals to go along with 13 assists which adds up to 21 points. This kid is only 20 years old so I expect that number to go way up in his coming years when he enters his prime.
Biggest Strength
Top 6 forwards: Columbus has arguably one of the best top six forward group in all of the NHL now that they added Saad. It consists of Ryan Johansen, Brandon Saad, Nick Foligno, Brandon Dubinsky, Boone Jenner, and Scott Hartnell if they decide to put him in there. That's some very good playmakers who all have the potential to score more then 20 goals this coming season. Scoring won't be an issue for the Blue Jackets it seems this season.
Biggest Weakness
Defense: Columbus's defense just isn't good enough going into this season and there is no justifying that. We've already talked about how many goals this team could score but this team could also give up a ton of goals if they aren't goo in front of Sergei Bobrovsky. Their top four as of right now is Jack Johnson, Ryan Murray, Fedor Tyutin, and David Savard which just isn't good enough. They had chances to upgrade their defense this summer but decided not to and extend David Savard to a massive five year 21.5 million dollar extension which is a huge overpayment. This defense will be their biggest downfall this season.
Bottom Line: Columbus is a improved team this season and will try to make the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. If this team is able to stay healthy, they'll be a playoff team and could be a top four team in the Metropolitan division. Ultimately, I do see the Blue Jackets returning to the playoffs and that's a team that could be scary in the playoffs.
Fantasy Slant
Most Overrated: Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson is the Columbus's number one defenseman right now but he's one of the most overrated defenseman in the entire league. He is massively overpaid and doesn't put up the numbers each season that a top pairing defense usually puts up. If he struggles again this season, the Blue Jackets will have to think about trading him and getting that really bad contract off their payroll.
Most Underrated: Ryan Johansen
As I said earlier in this article, Ryan Johansen is one of the most underrated centers in the NHL. He's put up some very solid numbers the past couple seasons for the Blue Jackets and two seasons ago he had the most quiet 30 goal season you'll probably ever see in the NHL. I recommend to get him early in the draft this year since he has an opportunity to have another 30 goal season while playing with some good linemates.
Most Surprising: Cam Atkinson
Cam Atkinson has been very good for the Blue Jackets over the past couple years for them. In both seasons, he's hit the 20 goal mark each time and set a career high for goals last year with 22. He will most likely get back there again this season and he could be a big sleeper in fantasy drafts.