What went wrong
Late-season collapse: The Blue Jackets were in second in the Metropolitan Division, one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins, after going 7-1-3 and outscoring the opposition 38-26 during an 11-game stretch from March 5-25. They failed to carry that momentum, however, and went 2-7-1 and were outscored 33-20 over the next 10 games to drop out of playoff position.
Injury woes: Columbus was hit hard by injuries to key contributors. Damon Severson was playing on the top defense pair when he sustained a season-ending shoulder injury on March 26. His absence removed a stabilizing presence from the blue line at the exact time the Blue Jackets needed defensive consistency; they are 2-6-1 and have allowed 3.44 goals per game since Severson’s injury. Smith (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Jan. 2 and hasn’t returned. Forward Dmitri Voronkov sustained an upper-body injury after blocking a shot on March 28 and has been out since, and power forward Mathieu Olivier hasn't played since sustaining an upper-body injury on March 29.
Goal drought: The offense was producing at a 3.31 goals-per-game clip and averaging 28.9 shots over a 36-game stretch from Jan. 1-March 31, but everything changed in April; the Blue Jackets have averaged two goals per game over their past six, lacking consistent secondary scoring when it mattered most.
Reasons for optimism
Zach attack: Zach Werenski has become a true franchise defenseman. He leads Columbus in assists (59), points (81), even-strength points (59) and average time on ice (26:37) this season. The 28-year-old played at a Norris Trophy-caliber level all season and also played a big role in Team USA's run to the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, earning the primary assist on the goal by Jack Hughes in overtime against Team Canada in the gold medal game and. Werenski finished the tournament with six points (one goal, five assists) in six games. He’s in his prime and showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
