#5: Columbus Blue Jackets
Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports
Last season, the Blue Jackets overcame injuries to finish very strong. They played the Washington Capitals very tough. They finished in fifth place with a record of 42-35-5. Columbus has obviously improved quite a bit by trading for Brandon Saad without giving up too much in return. That drastically improves their top six. With Ryan Johansen, Nick Foligno, Scott Hartnell, Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky likely joining him, that’s an impressive top six forward group. They have a borderline elite goaltender if he’s healthy in Sergei Bobrovsky. I think they clearly have a bright future.
So why do I have them fifth right now? Because I really don’t like their defense. Unlike the Washington Capitals, who are stacked, Columbus’s blue line is a bit too barren for my taste. Jack Johnson makes good music and is a solid defenseman assuming he’s healthy. Same with David Savard (worth noting they’ll have to give him a nice contract next season when he becomes an RFA). They have a shade under $6,000,000 of cap space to acquire at least one strong puck moving defenseman. If they do that, I’ll most likely believe in them.
Next: #4: Islanders