It’s the start of a new season, and once again, The Hockey Writers’ Columbus Blue Jackets staff have come together to make our preseason predictions. All of these are in the form of awards for the Blue Jackets’ roster, based on most points, best defenseman, and MVP. Hopefully, you enjoy some of the names of the awards after fun figures in franchise history.
Joining us for predictions this year are all five members of the Blue Jackets writing crew. That includes myself, Mark Scheig, William Espy, Don Helbig, and Mikhail Bryan. The team did not let me down this year, there are tons of twists and turns in how they see 2023-24 coming about. Don’t worry, we won’t be letting ourselves off the hook, as we’ll come back after the Blue Jackets’ final game of the year to see how we did. Without any further adieu, let’s jump into the predictions.
Blue Jackets’ Standings Prediction
Mark – 84 points, 6th place
Mark – The two teams that I think will finish lower are the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals. I think the Flyers are certainly going to be competitive under John Tortorella, but they’re still a very young team lacking some top-end talent. I think, under the course of a long season, that’s just eventually going to catch up to them.
The Capitals have a new coach, and an aging core, only had 80 points last year. I know John Carlson is back this year, which should help them in the long run, but I still have concerns about them. I think the Blue Jackets will surprise a few people, but they’ll ultimately fall just a bit short of the playoffs.
Nicholas – 86 points, 5th place
Nicholas – I see the Blue Jackets ahead of the Flyers and Capitals. I’m intrigued by the New York Islanders. Seeing no changes this offseason, they squeaked into the playoffs last season, and they are a year older. Is this a team the Blue Jackets could pass? Maybe. I’m betting Columbus ends fifth in the division.
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Don – 91 points, 4th place
Don – The Blue Jackets will finish behind Carolina, New Jersey and New York Rangers, but edge Pittsburgh for fourth place on the last night of the regular season.
Mikhail – 85 points, 6th place
Mikhail – Better year than last, but not sure they’ll be able to crack the top four in the Metropolitan with the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, and New York Rangers and then a few others probably looking for wild card.
William – 75 points, 7th place
William – The Blue Jackets will have a much better season than last year, but not enough to make the playoffs. Things have gotten off to a rocky start, and unless the team gets more consistent, it’s hard to see them truly as a playoff contender this season.
Ray Whitney Award for Most Points
Mark, Nicholas, Don & Mikhail – Johnny Gaudreau
- Mark – 85 points
- Nicholas – 80 points
- Don – 87 points; 61 assists
- Mikhail – 98 points
Mark – Johnny Gaudreau is now settled in and will be back to his usual playmaking self.
Mikhail – Gaudreau will have a great year and is able to get back to where he was in Calgary.
William – Patrik Laine; 80 points
William – If Patrik Laine is able to stay healthy, there’s no reason he won’t be at a near-point per-game level. If he remains at center, it could hurt his point total slightly, but either way, he’ll have a strong season.
Geoff Sanderson Award for Most Goals
Mark – Boone Jenner; 32 goals
Mark – I want to say Laine, but given his role at number one center and special teams presence, there may be a step back in production. Laine’s also got to prove that he can stay healthy for a full year. If you consider Boone Jenner’s line to be the top line, and he has Johnny Gaudreau feeding him pucks, and he’s playing on the power play, I believe he will break 30 goals.
Nicholas, Don & Mikhail – Patrik Laine
- Nicholas and Mikhail – 36 goals
- Don – 44 goals
Nicholas – It will be Laine leading the way in goal-scoring, but I am uncertain that he will hit the 40-goal mark. Laine has always seemed to take for granted how good of a goal scorer he is, and he seems to want to be known as a distributor. While he’s in the center position, he’ll try to pass way more than shoot. Eventually, I think he’ll wind up back on the wing and start to score a little more often.
Don – Laine will score a team-leading 44 goals, 23 of which come on the power play.
William – Kirill Marchenko; 31 goals
William – Going a bit off the board with this one, but if Kirill Marchenko can continue his scoring from last season, along with his newly found playmaking, he has an opportunity for a major breakout season.
David Vyborny Award for Best Forward
Mark, Nicholas, Mikhail & William – Johnny Gaudreau
William – It’s impossible to bet against Johnny Hockey, he’s a strong offensive contributor, but he also excels defensively. He’s will be one of the best all-around players the Blue Jackets have in general.
Related: Blue Jackets Award Predictions for the 2021-22 Season
Nicholas – Gaudreau is the consistent engine that will drive the Blue Jackets’ offense. He will hover around a point-per-game, he’ll make anyone that he plays with better, and he’ll ultimately continue to live up to his team-leading cap-hit as the team’s most valuable player.
Don – Boone Jenner
Don – The Blue Jackets best all-around forward will be Jenner. He’ll play a solid two-way game and play in all situations.
Fedor Tyutin Award for Best Defenseman
Mark – Ivan Provorov
Mark – I wanted to pick Zach Werenski here. I think he could ultimately still be the guy, but he’s still working his way back and there’s a lot of rust that he’s still got to shake off. When you take that kind of time off it’s going to take a lot of work to get back up to the speed of the NHL.
Ivan Provorov is coming in here with a fresh opportunity under a new coach. I think his offensive game doesn’t get the attention it deserves, and he can play a shutdown role. Circumstantially, he might end up being their best overall defenseman.
Nicholas & Mikhail – Zach Werenski
Nicholas – There is a reason the Blue Jackets’ season went completely off the rails as soon as Werenski was taken out of the picture last year. He is the foundation of their blue line. Regardless of the additions of Provorov and Damon Severson, Werenski just brings something to the team no one else does. It’s obvious that everyone is just a little bit more confident with him than without him. His leadership on the back end puts him over the top in a way no one else can.
Don – Jake Bean
Don – Lots of hype around newcomers Severson and Provorov, along with the return of Werenski, but Jake Bean will emerge as the Blue Jackets’ most reliable defenseman.
William – David Jiricek
William – Now, it depends on how long he sticks with the team, but if Jiricek stays with the Blue Jackets from here on out, he’s going to make a name for himself. If he gets sent back to Cleveland, it’ll likely be Werenski.
Pascal Leclaire Best Goalie
Mark, Nicholas, Mikhail & William – Elvis Merzlikins
William – Elvis Merlikins is off to a great start despite missing some time with an illness. It’s tough to say if he’ll be able to consistently perform at his current level, but there’s simply not another goaltender in the organization at his skill level at this point in time even if his stats revert to what we’ve seen from him in recent seasons.
Mikhail – If not Merzlikins, then who?
Don – Daniil Tarasov
Don – Injured to start the season, Tarasov will return to the active roster in late November and take over the number-one job after Christmas.
Matt Calvert Award for Best Defensive Forward
Mark, Nicholas & Don – Boone Jenner
Nicholas – I am absolutely shocked that in his 10-year NHL career, Boone Jenner has somehow never received a single Selke Trophy vote. While it’s understandable he’s never won or been a finalist for the award, with the likes of Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, and Jonathan Toews clearly ahead of him, you’d have thought someone would have thrown him a fifth-place vote at some point along the way. He’s a tenacious two-way force who is good in the faceoff dot and always seems to know the right place to be.
Mikhail – Sean Kuraly
Nicholas – The Columbus native and new alternate captain is a staple in the team’s penalty kill. No matter who he’s assigned to he tends to do a solid job shutting down opposing players. There’s a reason he gets so many starts in the defensive zone and is the one tapped to take key faceoffs. Mikhail is betting he’ll be the top defensive forward.
William – Justin Danforth
William – I think in this regard, Danforth is very underrated. During the 2021-22 season, he played very strong defensively regardless of where he was in the lineup, and his offensive production is only a bonus. Now that he’s fully healthy, I expect him to do more of the same.
Steve Mason Award for Best Rookie
Unanimous Pick – Adam Fantilli
Nicholas – The third overall pick in this year’s draft has spunk and a lot of it. Adam Fantilli proved all that he needed to at the amateur level in his college rookie year, and now he’s ready to prove all that he needs to in the professional ranks. His positive attitude will keep him grounded through any slump and his work ethic will
Don – David Jiricek will warrant consideration, but Adam Fantilli will show that he – not Connor Bedard – is the NHL’s best rookie this season.
Vaclav Prospal Award for Most Underrated Player
Mark & Nicholas – Alexandre Texier
Nicholas – Alexandre Texier will be oft-overlooked this year. He doesn’t have the offensive flash of Johnny Gaudreau or Patrik Laine. He doesn’t have the defensive shutdown of Boone Jenner or Sean Kuraly. However he is above average on both ends of the puck, he does have a strong motor that makes others on his line better. While he might not show up on the scoresheet every night, the Blue Jackets are far better with him than without him.
Don – Jake Bean
Don – Jake Bean was a first-round draft pick by the Carolina Hurricanes for a reason. Nobody is counting on him to be an important player for the Blue Jackets this season, but he’ll emerge this season as their best all-around defenseman, playing in all situations.
Mikhail – Justin Danforth
Nicholas – The 30-year-old forward is coming off of a lost season due to injury. He’s got speed, he got skill and will be a solid piece on the team’s bottom six. Danforth is a late-bloomer, having gotten his NHL start at 28 years old, so he’s got a bit of a chip on his shoulder and you can bet he’ll give everything he’s got to stay. His long path to the NHL was filled with success. He was a prolific scorer in college hockey, the ECHL, and the top leagues in Finland and Russia before being signed by Columbus. Now Mikhail thinks Danforth will get the chance to show what he can do with a full season with the Blue Jackets.
William – Boone Jenner
William – Everyone knows that Boone Jenner is a solid middle-six forward, but I think this season we may see him near the 30-goal mark once again.
Best New Addition
Mark and Nicholas – Ivan Provorov
Nicholas – Provorov is a legitimate NHL defender in his prime. If Werenski misses any time, he’ll be there to pass the number-one defenseman role without much drop-off in quality. While Fantilli, Severson, and Voronkov will make a dent in their first years, none of them will have the immediate stabilizing presence that Provorov brings to the blue line.
Don – Adam Fantilli
Don – The Blue Jackets have a franchise center in Fantilli to build around.
Mikhail & William – Damon Severson
William – He hasn’t had a great introduction to Blue Jackets fans, but as the season goes on I expect him to play a much better game and show why he deserved his new contract.
Rick Nash Award for Most Valuable Player
Mark & Nicholas – Johnny Gaudreau
Mark – He’s going to have the most points, but the impact that he’ll have all over as well. He can drive a line, so when the offense is going it’s usually him in the middle of it. To me, that’s kind of the stuff that makes the MVP of a team.
Don & Mikhail – Boone Jenner
Don – Johnny Gaudreau will score more points, Patrick Laine will score more goals and Adam Fantilli will receive strong consideration for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie, but Boone Jenner will be the Blue Jackets’ most valuable player. He’ll be their most consistent player over the course of 82 games.
William – Elvis Merzlikins
William – Now, this could be very hit or miss, but the Blue Jackets season relies heavily on Merzlikins performing at a high level. If he succeeds, the team will succeed. If he fails, so will the team. So regardless of whether it’s a good or bad thing, the team will reflect Merzlikins’ play more than anyone else’s.
Most Likely to be Traded During the Season
Mark & William – Jack Roslovic
William – Pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) with a high cap hit, who is unlikely to be re-signed.
Related: THW Blue Jacket Writers’ Predictions for the 2022-23 Season
Roslovic has one year left on his contract and has often struggled with consistency. Since he’s a hometown kid and has shown flashes of brilliance, the Blue Jackets would love to keep him under their roof. However, if he continues to struggle in the long term, they’ve got other players knocking on the door who would love a shot at his spot on the roster.
Nicholas – Eric Robinson
Nicholas – If Eric Robinson stays out of the Blue Jackets’ lineup and they’re not planning on re-signing him after this season, why would they hold on to him? Even if he only gets a low-level prospect or a late-round draft pick, it is still better than letting him go for nothing.
Robinson has always struck me as the kind of guy who would perfectly slot in on the shutdown fourth line of a playoff team like the Boston Bruins. If the team eats some of his salary, sending him to a contender at the trade deadline would be the perfect parting gift from management to the longtime Jacket for his years of service.
Don & Mikhail – Adam Boqvist
Don – Adam Boqvist is still young with offensive upside, which makes him coveted by other teams. With Jiricek ready to play in the NHL and other defensemen coming, he’s the odd man out in Columbus.
Points Predictions for Adam Fantilli
- Mark – 15 goals, 40 points
- Nicholas – 23 goals, 50 points
- Don – 31 goals, 66 points
- Mikhail – 23 goals, 47 points
- William – 24 goals, 50 points
Nicholas – On our first Union Junction podcast of the season, I was absolutely dying to ask the guys this question but opted to save it for this piece. As Anna sang in Frozen, “For the first time in forever, the Blue Jackets have a player that can break the rookie scoring record.” Incredible foresight by the songwriters over at Disney, if you ask me.
Related: THW Blue Jacket Writers’ Predictions for the 2022-23 Season
As of publication of this piece, the Blue Jackets’ rookie scoring records are held by three players. Last season Marchenko scored a record 21 goals, while Werenski holds the assist record after scoring 36 in 2016-17, and Pierre-Luc Dubois set the point-scoring record in 2017-18 with 48. All writers except for Mark think that Fantilli will break at least one of those records, either goal-scoring or point-scoring. All predict over 40 points, which is a mark only hit by three Blue Jackets in history. That’s Dubois, Werenski, and Kent Johnson. Time will tell if Fantilli is the fourth member of that group.
Prediction for Wins by Elvis Merzlikins
- Mark – 30
- Nicholas – 34
- Don – 17
- Mikhail – No clue
- William – 27
Nicholas – The question for me is injuries. Merzlikins has been absolutely lambasted by injuries throughout his career. Assuming he stays healthy, I am betting on a bounceback year from the feisty Latvian. A new goalie coach, a new system and defensive corps in front of him, and the chance to prove the anti-Elvis sect of the fanbase wrong will propel him to new heights this season. We’ve always known he can be an elite goalie, this will be the first full season he shows it.
One Outlandishly Bold Blue Jackets’ Prediction
- Mark – David Jiricek receives more Calder votes than Adam Fantilli.
- Nicholas – Elvis Merzlikins receives at least one Vezina Trophy vote.
- Don – Zach Werenski gets traded.
- Mikhail – Jiricek ends up being the most valuable defenseman if and when Werenski goes down.
- William – Fantilli has a hot streak before the end of the year and is an All-Star in his rookie season.
Nicholas – Lots of outlandish and bold predictions with most of them focusing on the youth of this squad. Fantilli and Jiricek’s rookie seasons could be the biggest x-factors this season. If they acclimatize quickly, they could bring this team from ‘okay’ to ‘playoff hopeful.’
We Shall See
The Blue Jackets have a long season ahead of them, so I’ll store these picks away until the final Blue Jackets’ game and we’ll name some winners. There will no doubt be some surprises, especially with the continued development of young players. Player injuries, scoring streaks, and so many other factors will affect the outcome this season.