What will make this season different?
Whether it comes from management, the coaching staff, or the players, the message is clear: the Columbus Blue Jackets have to be a playoff team in 2026-27.
There will be a new captain, and likely a new attitude after the Blue Jackets came up short each of the last two seasons. Head coach Rick Bowness will have a full training camp and season with the team, finally being able to put into practice the culture he preached.
As the Blue Jackets have learned in recent years, culture is measured in wins. Not words.
We'll hear all the quotes and talk during camp and preseason about the goals for the club to be among the 16 teams that qualify for the playoffs. Simply making the playoffs shouldn't be the only goal. The next question is whether this team can make an impact once it gets there.
The 34-year-old Charlie Coyle received a six-year deal to remain with the club, a significant commitment for a player at his age. But, he was still one of the more desirable free agents available.
After garnering Selke votes for his two-way play and having one of his best offensive seasons with 58 points (20 goals, 38 assists) in 82 games, Coyle talked about his excitement for what the Blue Jackets already have.
"I've seen what we have, I've seen our potential, and I'm excited for it," Coyle said. "It's something I want to be here for and work towards.
"The team we have and the depth we have, it’s something that excites me and something that I want to be a part of going forward."
Coyle is a likely candidate to be the next captain. He missed the playoffs for the first time in his 14-year career last season, and could be a huge reason if the Jackets can end their six-year playoff drought this season.
New Blue Jacket Valeri Nichushkin, acquired in a summer trade, overlapped with Coyle's tenure in Colorado during the 2024-25 season. Nichushkin, who averaged 27 goals and 57 points a season with the Avalanche since 2019-20, can replace a production void left by Mason Marchment's departure.
The speculation surrounding Zach Werenski has quieted, for now. The Jackets are a better club with Werenski on the club, but if they get off to a slow start, the rumors regarding Werenski's future will regain steam.
Waddell quieted the earlier speculation about Kirill Marchenko, saying Marchenko would be with the Blue Jackets when training camp starts. The Athletic's Aaron Portzline also refuted a recent story out of Russia indicating a trade could be close.
Told there’s nothing happening with #CBJ on the Kirill Marchenko front, despite rumors out of Russia to the contrary.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 26, 2026
Not saying it can’t change later this summer. But my understanding is #CBJ have not had calls on Marchenko since earlier this summer.
On July 13, we talked about what Jet Greaves provides the Blue Jackets as their No. 1 goaltender. He finally gives the team the reliable goaltending stability it hasn't had since the days of Sergei Bobrovsky.
Last Thursday, Greaves and the Blue Jackets avoided arbitration, agreeing to a three-year, $15 million deal. They also avoided arbitration with Cole Sillinger, signing him to a three-year, $13.875 contract on Friday. Sillinger might not be the flashy first or second-line center who will score a lot of goals, but he showed his value alongside Coyle and Mathieu Olivier in 2024-25. The trio played together in 60 games at 5v5, totaling 419:22.
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Next up is Adam Fantilli, who still needs a new deal, but that'll reach its conclusion soon. Once complete, president and general manager Don Waddell's roster will be set for training camp, which begins in just over a month.
Everyone knows the Blue Jackets have to make the playoffs. The organization knows it. Management and the coaches know it. The players know it. And mostly, the fans demand it.
One question the fan base should be asking is how is this season going to be any different?
The Blue Jackets don't need another season of optimism. They've had plenty of that. They don't need another training camp filled with players talking about potential, culture, and taking the next step. They've heard those conversations before. What they need is results.
Coyle might be right that this club has what it takes. He's closer to the situation than anyone outside the organization. He knows what a winning team looks like. We've also heard the same rhetoric before. We've seen the club melt down as the games get bigger. Optimism hasn't been the issue. It's consistency. The Blue Jackets have to prove they have what it takes.
If the club makes the playoffs as a seven seed and loses in five games, are fans celebrating that they made the playoffs and the drought is over?
Ending the drought matters, and anything can happen regardless of seeding once the playoffs start, but simply making the playoffs for the seventh time in 26 years of existence shouldn't be the end goal.
At the very least, the Jackets need to show they are a true contender in each game they play. No slow starts. No inconsistencies for two months to begin the season. A true, complete team for 60 minutes every single night.
The Blue Jackets don't need another team that looks like a playoff contender for stretches. They need to become one. They need to show they can handle the pressure of meaningful hockey in March and April, and not just talk about wanting to get there in September and October.
For the Blue Jackets, that test will begin at Nationwide Arena when they host the Sabres on Oct. 1 to kick off the 2026-27 season.
Will Bowness' team finally reflect the culture he has promised? Are Coyle's words of optimism a true reflection of what the team is? Will this team finally change the narrative about whether they truly have what it takes?
This season will determine whether the Blue Jackets have truly turned the page or whether another year of optimism ends the same way just about every season that preceded it has: disappointment and another offseason of "what if?"
