The 2022-23 season is in the home stretch. Within the Columbus Blue Jackets’ organization, one team knows its season will be ending. Another team hopes that it’s only the beginning of what they can do.
The Blue Jackets enter the last week of their regular season with just three games remaining. The Cleveland Monsters have four games remaining. Both teams are facing high stakes this week which could impact the franchise for many years to come. Let’s set the scene in both Columbus and Cleveland for you.
Blue Jackets & Draft Odds
The Blue Jackets lost Saturday night at home 4-0 to the New York Rangers. Turnovers doomed the Blue Jackets as three of the four Rangers’ goals came as a result of turnovers.
The Blue Jackets mustered 12 shots in the first period. They only generated eight more in the final 40 minutes of the game. The Rangers took care of business as they are preparing for what they hope is a deep run in the playoffs.
The Blue Jackets have known since basically November that the playoffs weren’t going to be a reality this season. Now their focus lies on putting themselves in the best possible draft position for the lottery coming up on May 8.
Thanks to an overtime loss by the Anaheim Ducks Saturday, the Blue Jackets fell to 32nd place in the overall league standings. They’re tied with the Chicago Blackhawks in points with 56. The Blue Jackets lose the tiebreaker thanks to regulation wins.
Finishing 32nd means the Blue Jackets would have the best odds at landing Connor Bedard at 25.5% and are guaranteed to pick in the top three in the upcoming draft. That means landing either Bedard, Adam Fantilli or Leo Carlsson.
As we know, players will not intentionally tank. They are three games left that need to be settled. For the Blue Jackets, it’s far from a sure thing that they’ll lose all three.
Blue Jackets Remaining Schedule
The Blue Jackets are in Philadelphia on Tuesday. The Flyers are losers of five in a row after being blanked 4-0 by the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
The Flyers will certainly be favored to win at home against the Blue Jackets but it won’t be lopsided. If the Blue Jackets continue to let in goals at the current pace though, they won’t win many games at all. Still fans in Chicago, Anaheim and San Jose will be actively rooting for Columbus to get points in this one.
Then the Blue Jackets have their last two games at home. They host the Pittsburgh Penguins in a game that could define the Penguins’ season. Then they host the Buffalo Sabres in a makeup game from December. The Sabres might be eliminated from playoff contention by then depending on other results. If the game is meaningless for them, anything can happen.
Should the Blue Jackets lose their last three in regulation, they will have the best odds at the draft lottery. But with two teams potentially having no playoff implications, nothing is guaranteed. The only guarantee will be Blue Jackets’ fans losing sleep this week and then leading to the draft lottery.
Monsters Still Control Own Destiny
The Monsters split their weekend set in Canada. They came back on Friday night and won a dramatic 5-4 game against the Laval Rocket. But then on Saturday, the rested Belleville Senators earned a 3-1 win. Couple that result with the Rocket defeating Syracuse 5-3 on Saturday, the Monsters enter the final week of the season just one point out of the last playoff spot.
As we’ve documented in this space before, the Blue Jackets need the Monsters to make the playoffs. However the injury situation has forced the Blue Jackets’ hand in making callups just to be able to ice a roster in the NHL.
The Monsters played in Belleville Saturday without David Jiricek, Joona Luoto, Trey Fix-Wolansky and Marcus Bjork. All four were sent back to the Monsters on Saturday night and will be available for their huge game Monday at home against Grand Rapids.
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The Rocket host Wilkes-Barre on Monday night. Then they host Toronto Wednesday and Syracuse Friday to end their regular season. Meanwhile the Monsters play 3-in-3 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. No matter what the Rocket do, as long as the Monsters win all their games, the Monsters would make the playoffs.
Should the Monsters make the playoffs, they have a roster that can do some damage thanks to the likes of Cole Sillinger and other being available to them. Having the Monsters miss the playoffs would be the ultimate dagger to an already rough season all around.
This final week will provide much needed clarity to the Blue Jackets’ organization. They’ll know their draft lottery odds and if the Monsters will see any postseason games.
Both teams are facing high stakes for different reasons. Never have the Blue Jackets had this good of a chance to land a game-changing player. Destiny is truly on the line.