Blue Jackets miss playoffs, failure to build momentum off Stadium Series among reasons

The Columbus Blue Jackets failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

The Blue Jackets (39-33-9) were eliminated from contention when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 at Bell Centre on Wednesday.

The Blue Jackets won five games in a row to stay in the race, entering Wednesday two points behind the Canadiens with each having one game left, but Montreal controlled its own fate and clinched with its victory against Carolina.

Columbus last played in the NHL postseason in 2020, when it defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifiers after the League returned from its pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It lost the best-of-7 Eastern Conference First Round in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Blue Jackets played in the postseason four years in a row from 2017-20.

Here's a look at what happened in the 2024-25 season for the Blue Jackets and why things could be better next season.

The skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents: Luke Kunin, F; Sean Kuraly, F; Justin Danforth, F; Christian Fischer, F; James van Riemsdyk, F; Kevin Labanc, F; Ivan Provorov, D; Dante Fabbro, D; Jack Johnson, D

Potential restricted free agents: Dmitri Voronkov, F; Mikael Pyyhtia, F; Jordan Harris, D; Daniil Tarasov, G

Potential 2025 Draft picks: 7

What went wrong

Missed opportunity in March: Zach Werenski said earlier in the season the Blue Jackets' goal was to be in position to challenge for a playoff berth by the time they got to the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on March 1. They were. In fact, Columbus was in the first wild-card position, four points clear of the Ottawa Senators, who were on the wrong side of the line, after defeating the Detroit Red Wings 5-3 before 94,751 in its first outdoor game. The Blue Jackets were authoring the best team story in the NHL this season at that point, but it didn't last. They lost 6-2 to the Lightning on March 4, their first game after the outdoor game. It started a 4-11-1 stretch that left them eight points out of a wild-card spot after a 4-0 loss to the Senators on April 6. It was big of a hole to dig out of.

Couldn't outscore their issues: The Blue Jackets were one of the top scoring teams in the NHL until they started to swoon in the last quarter of the season. They were averaging 3.35 goals per game through the Stadium Series, their 60th game of the season. Sure, they were allowing 3.25, which was 25th at the time, but their offense was good enough to keep them afloat. It faded away big time after they went back indoors. In their 16-game swoon from March 4 through April 6, the Blue Jackets scored 2.38 goals per game and allowed 4.13. Their power play, which was 21.6 percent in the first 60 games, was 8.3 percent. Simply put, they stopped outscoring their defensive issues, which is why they slumped and fell too far out of a playoff spot.

Road woes: This one is self-explanatory based on records alone. The Blue Jackets are 25-10-5 at home and 14-23-4 on the road. If they were just a shade closer to .500 on the road, they'd likely be in a playoff spot. They have a minus-37 goal differential on the road. It's plus-32 at home.

Reasons for optimism

Growing up: Among their forwards, five of the top eight in scoring this season are 24 or younger; Kirill Marchenko, 24, Kent Johnson, 22, Adam Fantilli, 20, Dmitri Voronkov, 24, and Cole Sillinger, 21. Marchenko has a team-high 31 goals and 73 points to lead all forwards. Fantilli (30 goals), Johnson (24) and Voronkov (22) are second, third and fourth, respectively. On defense, Denton Mateychuk, 20, has played 44 games and is averaging 18:02 of ice time with 13 points (four goals, nine assists). All are Blue Jackets draft picks who have grown up in Columbus. Other than Voronkov, a potential RFA, all are signed through at least next season. The future is now.

Meaningful March hockey: Even though the Blue Jackets faded in March, they were in the mix for the playoffs all month. That alone is valuable experience for a young team looking to continue to grow and take the next step next season. They didn't have the success they wanted, but they can use the experience to be better next season. To do that, they first have to play their way into the position they were in at the start of March this season.

Strength through sadness: There's no denying that the Blue Jackets were brought together through tragedy this season. The untimely and tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau on Aug. 29 impacted this team in unexpected ways. They rallied together and created a bond that helped them rise above expectations. That bond should carry into next season with so many players expected to return.