The Columbus Blue Jackets had a fairly rough offseason, by the estimation of most third party observers. Sergei Bobrovsky, their top goaltender for the past several seasons, and one who had developed into one of the best players in the game. They lost Artemi Panarin to the Rangers, the same Panarin who had blossomed into a dynamic offensive threat. They also lost Matt Duchene, their big trade deadline addition. Worse still, all players moved on via free agency.
The mood in Columbus seems guardedly optimistic, however. They had cash to use to sign a top 6 forward in Gustav Nyquist, making Nyquist one of only 5 players in their 30s. They still have Seth Jones, one of the best young players in the league, and three former 1st round picks, all under the age of 24 expected to make the team, in Sonny Milano, Zach Werenski and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Sure, these Blue Jackets are going to take a massive step back, but the road to success is there in the near future, if you are willing to look for it.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
