Another year, another offseason where no one seems to be able to predict how good the Blue Jackets will be.
NHL.com is known for their weekly rankings during the season where they rank the top half of the teams in the league, or at least who they believe to be the top 16.
The first installment of their offseason rankings ahead of the 2018-2019 season places the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 14 which is...probably fair.
How do Jackets fans feel about their team heading into the fall? Well, it depends who you ask. But you likely wouldn't get an answer that doesn't have the words Artemi Panarin or Sergei Bobrovsky in the sentence (Unless they say 'Bread', of course).
Atop of the list is none other than the team that drove four straight loses into the heart of Columbus, and eventually the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Washington Capitals are understandable favorites, followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators.
Had any news Panarin and Bob being hesitant about extension talks never existed, the Jackets may have found themselves in the top ten, if not the top eight.
The start to the season will be one of uncertainty off the ice - and time will tell how it will affect the team on the ice. Will the Panarin-Bobrovsky drama become a distraction that's impossible to ignore, or will the group put their heads down and play?
