Embrace the suck.
It's really hard not to, at this point, right? There is simply no good reason, for the future of this franchise, to root for points over the last couple weeks. They'll come, yes, and it's fine to be happy about whatever wins are left this season. But to root for them, at this point, is just asking for two decades of mediocrity to continue. The stakes are too high.
There is a generational talent out there, who, in six months, will enter his first training camp as an NHL player. Connor Bedard. Perhaps you've heard of him. The 17-year-old has 70 goals and 71 assists in 55 game, averaging more than 2.5 points per game. He's the best prospect since another Connor — McDavid — nearly a decade ago. He will be the top overall pick in this summer's draft, and oh, by the way, he plays the center position, where the Blue Jackets have been weak literally forever.
Finishing with the second-worst record in the league cuts a teams chances in half of acquiring him.
So on what planet does a win over the Washington Capitals in D.C. on Tuesday do any good for more than a few smiles on the 50 minute charter flight back to Columbus in the dark of night? Or two points against in Canada this Saturday against a Montreal Canadiens team whose future is looking slightly brighter because they won the draft lottery last summer?
So, with a baker's dozen left in the season, here's where things stand:
And here are the key takeaways:
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Columbus will finish their five-game road trip with somewhere between two and four points. They're 1-3-0 so far, with the lone win coming over the San Jose Sharks — the Blue Jackets' biggest competition for the top spot. Because of course it would. It was in overtime though, so the Sharks did at least get point.
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The Blue Jackets experimented with Patrik Laine at center in Sunday's 7-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. It was a win-win, really. Laine got two points and looked pretty comfortable, but the Blue Jackets walked away with a better chance to grab Bedard.
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The two teams closest to the Blue Jackets are both in action on Monday night, but both with tough opponents. The Sharks are in Edmonton to take on the aforementioned McDavid and the Oilers, while the Chicago Blackhawks are in Colorado to face the Avalanche.
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And here's a closer look at the other three teams in Columbus' burst bubble and how their last month will help (or hurt) the Blue Jackets: