Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
The Columbus Blue Jackets were supposed to be a team on the rise following their performance in last season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Blue Jackets were to win their first two postseason games in franchise history before bowing out to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
Coming into this season, the Blue Jackets wanted to build off that momentum. However, the beginning of the 2014-15 season for Columbus has been brutal. The Blue Jackets have been decimated by injuries with seven key players currently on injured reserve. Mark Letestu, Nathan Horton, Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, Fedor Tyutin, Ryan Murray and Cody Goloubef are all out for the Jackets.
These injuries have made it difficult for the Blue Jackets to have any sort of success. Columbus (8-15-2, 18 points) is currently in last place in the Eastern Conference and is only one point better than the Edmonton Oilers for the worst record in the entire NHL. Columbus has already endured two extended losing streaks: a nine-game losing streak from the end of October through mid-November and a six-game losing streak to close out November.
Statistically, it doesn’t look much better for the Blue Jackets. They only have two players who are plus players in leading goal scorer Nick Foligno (+1) and Kerby Rychel (+3, but has only played in three games), due to the fact that Columbus ranks 29th in the league in goals against per game at 3.4.
It’s been just as tough a season for Columbus off the ice as well. The season began with their best player, Ryan Johansen, holding out in a messy contract dispute with management. Johansen did eventually sign and is leading the Blue Jackets in points thus far.
An even stranger situation revolves around defenseman Jack Johnson. He had to file for bankruptcy earlier this season because his parents basically led him to financial disaster.
It’s been a rough season in Columbus and all the injuries have made it tough to accurately judge this team, which is why this grade isn’t an F. It will be interesting to see as those injured players are introduced back into the lineup if things improve. The silver lining from these early-season struggles is they might put the Blue Jackets in position to draft either Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel in the upcoming NHL Draft. Both are considered cornerstone-type players and bona fide star prospects.
Grade: D-
Patrick Leiva is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter and add him to your network on Google.
