Blue Jackets frustrated to miss the NHL playoffs for the fifth consecutive year

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Coach Dean Evason doesn’t want to hear that the Columbus Blue Jackets had a strong year, or that they dealt with extraordinary adversity, or even that they improved significantly over past seasons - though all those statements are true.

To Evason, the fact that the Blue Jackets spent Friday cleaning out their lockers instead of preparing for the NHL playoffs is a clear indication they didn’t improve enough.

"We're not far enough because we're not preparing to play," he said. "We're going to get some accolades and all that kind of stuff, but at the end of the day, we're not in the playoffs. Our first step was to get into the playoffs. We didn't get there. So, are we happy with the foundation that we're continuing to build on here this year? Sure. But it's still extremely frustrating."

Columbus began its journey toward reflection 14 hours after the end of a season in which it faced the tragic death of All-Star Johnny Gaudreau right before training camp, hosted its first outdoor game in front of the second-largest NHL crowd ever, and posted the league's largest positive change from the previous year in both wins and points.

The Blue Jackets finished the year with 40 wins and 89 points, compared to 27 wins and 66 points in 2023-24, and fell two points short of the final wildcard spot, which went to the Montreal Canadiens. They finished fourth in the Metropolitan Division and 19th in the league, failing to qualify for postseason play for the fifth consecutive season.

General manager Don Waddell said the fact that Columbus was in the playoff conversation through Game 81 indicated there was success on which to build.

"I said right off the bat that if we could play meaningful games in March, leaving April out of it, it'd be a big step for us as a franchise," Waddell said. "We exceeded that."

The Blue Jackets held a wildcard playoff spot after their dramatic win over Detroit in the March 1 Stadium Series, but then lost eight of their next nine games. A three-game losing skid early in April, in which they were twice shut out, dug a hole that could not be overcome, even with a six-game win streak to end the season.

Alongside the team's successes, there are clear areas for improvement. Columbus struggled away from home with only 14 road wins, and defensive issues were evident with 267 goals against, ranking 25th in the NHL. The team had a penalty kill record of 77%, ranking 22nd.

"Our road record sucked," Evason said. "Our special teams sucked. The power play, penalty kill, and playing on the road have to get better for us to get more points.

"Our scoring was good this year. We've got to keep the puck out of our net, so our defensive game has to be better."

The team will enter next season with a strong corps of quality leaders, including Sean Monahan, Matthew Olivier, captain Boone Jenner and Norris Trophy candidate Zach Werenski, who became the first defenseman to lead the team in points with 82.

"I have always believed in this franchise and this organization," Werenski said. "I love playing here. This is the place I call home now. I've always said we have everything at our disposal to be a great hockey club.

"I believe in the process. I believe in the core group of guys. I believe in what we are doing here."

On the youth front, Adam Fantilli recorded his first 30-goal season, and goalie Jet Greaves was dominant in the final stretch, winning four straight games after being called up from AHL Cleveland, including the first two shutouts of his career.

"It's our job to try to make our team better, but the group we have in that room right now, I have a lot of confidence in and will continue on the path we've started," Waddell said.

Waddell needs to address a collection of unrestricted free agents, including forwards Sean Kuraly, Justin Danforth, and James van Riemsdyk, as well as defensemen Ivan Provorov, midseason pickup Dante Fabbro, and veteran Jack Johnson. Potential restricted free agents include Dmitri Voronkov and backup goalie Daniil Tarasov.

The team has seven 2025 draft picks, including two in the first round.