2024-25 Columbus Blue Jackets Season Preview

43 comments

1. I don’t know how to feel about the season starting. Losing Johnny (and his brother) just feels like another gut punch and as other CBJ fans can attest to we’ve taken our fair share of them over the years. Guess I hope the young guys can develop and the team shows some overall improvement. I’m sure it will be hard for them to play for a while without Johnny though

2. Excellent job sir!

3. Sure hope the Blue Jackets honour of the spirit & memory of the Gaudreau brothers with a successful season. The Blue Jackets have never been a fave team for me — but I'll be cheering loudly for them this year. Like you said, I hope the players, the city, and the league rallies forward this season.

4. You sir are a class act that was very moving…good on you…

5. 32 fan bases will be rooting for CBJ,Pens fan here!

6. My condolences to Johnny's and Matthew's families ,let them rest in peace…

7. Before the event last week, I was able to see this team finishing 5th-6th. With the Evason's introduction presser, he felt like Torts when we hired him and this could be a repeat of 2016-17 in which getting the players to buy in and get back where they were during the Torts years, or at least don't be a bottom 5 team. They have cap space to be really active, including able to deal out Kuraly and Provorov, to stock up and then be able to go big next off-season.

   Now, I have zero clue. It is too late, and extremely difficult, to find a replacement which may be find a stop gap from close to end of training camp to after the first month, but it is not perfect. This season feels like it's going to be a mulligan in which any outcome will be fine. If the team just completely bottoms out, it will be acceptable for the time being in which they would be able to reload for next season. If somehow the team is able to rally around pull off a run, that would amazing. I'm just hoping that at the end season the players able to find the joy of playing again.

8. I think the team rallies behind the trafedy but they just don't have the offensive firepower to get out of the bottom of the league yet. We are going to see improvement in a lot of players just because there is a new GM taking care of whatever other issues were no doubt plaguing their locker room. Their blueline is actually very solid on paper. I suspect Elvis can play better for a new look organization. Some of the youngsters will start to show promise along with Fantilli who played fantastic when healthy his rookie year.

   They are going to be last place in the Division but there will be a few youngsters who get a heck of a lot better and they'll be in a good spot for next season with all that cap space.

9. It was hard to press play on this video but I'm glad that I did. I hope our players seek out help for their mental states right now.

   I think our players will surprise a lot of people with Creeds coaching style. I will cheer for the CBJ if we are 0-82.

10. I hope cole and sean has a really good season. I understand what you get about the blue jackets being forgotten about. The blue jackets are the least talk about team in Columbus. Literally it took our star player passing for being heavily talked about.

11. This team will have heartache all season long , there trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces. You can’t replace a Johnny Hockey , it can never be done . They need to move on the best they can . 🥲

12. My only comparison would be Vancouver and Luc Bourdon. But he was a young defenseman, just breaking in, that would have meant the difference in 2011.

    The hard part is his wife, two kids, a third on the way.

13. Now has to be the most emotionally difficult time to even consider adding any new players (or letting go players for that matter) from the team. I don't know when will be. Columbus's cap space is generational and I don't envy the player who steps into Johnny's metaphorical place. Under any other circumstance, they could offer sheet Seider and Raymond with their cap space but I doubt that's the last thing on anyone's mind.

14. I hope a situation develops where fans cheer the Blue Jackets this season when they're on the road. Give them some encouragement and a shout out to Johnny Hockey.

15. I still can’t believe this happened 😢

16. Thank you for this video, Shannon.

17. The fact it was a drunk guy who wasn't even sorry after he was sober… That just makes it sting so much worse.

    If you told me that it was a normal sober person that had a medical problem. It wouldn't make it better, but it wouldn't hurt as badly as it does knowing the truth 😢

18. At a time where it seems like even the hockey gods themselves want this franchise to pack it in, it's time for the CBJ to prove the cosmic forces wrong. It's not unheard of for a team to take a major tragedy like this and turn it into momentum for a surprise run. While I wouldn't expect a Cup or anything so lofty, if they can pull out a >500 season, that in and of itself would be a major victory for a team that's been knocked to the ground and curb stomped over and over and over again.

19. Why are you not on NHL network????? You know hockey better than ANY pundit on TV.

    RIP Johnny and Matty. Such a senseless tragedy. Most deep condolences to the entire Gaudreau family and friends, teammates, and former teammates and just anyone who knew him.

20. Who's a comparison for Werenski? Sergachev or Toews?

21. As a Columbus fan, I have no idea what to think or how to feel about the season coming up.. it all just feels kinda empty and I just want to get to watching hockey again. No expectations but healing.

22. As a fan of CBJ living in Flyers country, the passing of the Gaudreau brothers hit me extra hard. I live 20 minutes from where it happened, so it hit me like a brick wall. I know this season will be extremely hard, but I know the boys will give everything they have to honor their brother!!! RIP Johnny!

23. I was wondering what happened with the contract 😢I was really hoping the family could have that as something to help them with. This is an unbelievable tragedy and no idea how that would be handled. I would hope the organization would do that for them. Thank you Shannon for all you do! ❤

24. columbus is below the cap floor

25. Imagine Columbus sending an offer sheet to Lucas Raymond at a number Yzerman couldn't match.

26. Still hard to believe Gaudreau is gone.

27. HAIL THE VICTORIOUS DEAD!

    Many best wishes towards all directly affected by this, whether you knew either Gaudreau personally or not.

28. Well done will be giving my support to Columbus unfortunately this has taken a significant toll on me it’s gonna take me along time to recover from this

29. I've never said or written anything on your channel but this one is, hands down, the best chronicle of a teams season outlook you could have done. Bravo! 😔

30. I’m glad you are feeling better Shannon.

31. Really appreciate this video, giving the tragedy and those suffering the attention they need while starting to talk about the hockey side of things. I'm a pretty committed CBJ fan, but the hockey doesn't feel relevant right now. Just hoping the players, team and families can lean on their loved ones and manage as best as possible.

32. Classy way to approach this video

33. I think, in light of the tragedy, the unexpectedly biggest move Waddell made this offseason was reacquiring Jack Johnson. Not for the hockey part but rather the fact that he was a member of the leadership core back when most of the current leadership core were all rookies. There was a pretty hot debate between whether the Jackets would name him or Nick Foligno captain. Fliggy was the right choice, but his steadfastness is going to be SO huge in the locker room this season.

34. Some really poignant words about all of this, Shannon. Thanks for being real, and for expressing how a lot of us are feeling a little over a week after the tragedy. Being affected by a strangers' death (even if we feel like we know them via hockey) is a sign of empathy and shows that the sport means more than just wins or losses.

    I had a soft spot for Columbus before this year, being a fan of the other 2000 expansion team, but I'll definitely be actively rooting for the Jackets this year and will make an effort to watch more of those games. I'm hoping the players and fans have some good moments to cheer for this year. It's going to be a raw, emotional year in Columbus.

35. RIP Johnny Gaudreau! VAI FAZER FALTA!

36. RIP Johnny Gaudreau

37. This is so very sad for the Gaudreau family and hockey fans everywhere.
    You've done really well with this THG. Thank you.

38. Classy!!

39. Didn't think going into this season I'd feel worse for a franchise than I did for Arizona

40. You can see it on kids faces around the rinks here in SJ… and in turn parents. I'm not with Hollydell but kids are carrying a heavy load on their hearts and it's a tough to witness. Like Shannon said, if you're having a difficult time, talk to someone. There's no shame in having empathy in the wake of tragedy. The other side of the coin is the love and pride in those boys being shown. It's a terrible time right now but with time a lot of good will come from this due to the inspiring nature and will of Matt and Johnny. Two really amazing boys who will be sorely missed and always remembered.

41. The situation while not the exact same reminds me of how I felt with Vladdy Konstantinov. Johnny will always be a part of the Jackets just like Vladdy will always be a part of the Wings.

42. CBJ could be up against my leafs for a spot in the finals and i still think im rooting for them

43. As a Detroit fan, I will be going to that stadium series game. And I will be cheering on Columbus, as well as Detroit during that game