By: Chris Nosek

Last season the Blue Jackets were able to honor Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in all the right ways.

Biggest Departure: Sean Kuraly, left in free agency

The Blue Jackets didn’t lose too many players over the summer. However, of the ones they did lose, Sean Kuraly produced the fewest points. He only had 17 points over 82 games. Kuraly worked closely with other veterans in the locker room. The team was working through the toughest season any of them would ever play. Justin Danforth and James van Riemsdyk score more goals and overall points than Kuraly did. However, the loss of Kuraly is bigger. As a team, the Blue Jackets scored 267 goals last season. This had them tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for 7th in the league. Offensively they should be able to produce enough points to remain in the playoff race. Kuraly helped the forward group in their defensive zone. He would have been a great winger for Charlie Coyle.

Biggest Acquisition: Charlie Coyle, acquired via trade from Colorado Avalanche

The 33-year-old forward brings a solid veteran presence to a Blue Jackets lineup that still requires it. Coyle will be able to solidify their third line. He will work with Monahan in an effort to lead the forward group in playing a great two-way game. Coyle also brings a wealth of playoff experience to the roster. This experience will be critical if they accomplish their goal of getting back to the post season. Coyle has 126 playoff games under his belt. Meanwhile, 36-year-old Brendan Smith is second on the team with 59 post season games. Coyle and Smith account for 86% of the playoff experience on this roster. Only three other players have more than 30 games under their belt. If Coyle can find his offensive game again, he only brings even more value.

Best Contract: Sean Monahan, signed as free agent on July 1, 2024

Monahan signed with the Blue Jackets so he could play with his good friend, Johnny Gaudreau. Despite the tragedy of his loss, Monahan posted 57 points over the 54 games he played. He centered the top line and became the face of the organization. At only 30 years old, Monahan should have plenty of good seasons left in his career. He is signed to a contract that carries a mere $5.5 million hit to the salary cap that extends through the 2028-29 season. The cap hit that Monahan carries is incredible value. Especially for someone who is a top-line center and is as critical to a franchise as he is.

Worst Contract: Damon Severson, signed as UFA on June 8, 2023

Severson carries the third highest hit to the salary cap on the team. The only players ahead of him are Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov. It is likely that Severson will land on the third pair of the defensive unit. This makes his $6.25 million cap hit a lot harder to absorb. His contract includes a no trade clause for this year. At 31-years-old there is likely not a lot of growth left for his game. Severson isn’t a bad defenseman by any stretch nor does his contract significantly hinder the organization. Just because the organization has around $15.5 million in cap space, doesn’t mean he is on a good contract. It only means it doesn’t hurt them as much as it could.

Notes:

The loss of Johnny Gaudreau was felt significantly. It will continue to be felt for a long time. This coming season will be another step in the grieving process and those closest to him continue to move forward. So many will be rooting for this organization going forward. Last season the Blue Jackets showed they’re heading the right direction. Hopefully this season we get to see them back in the post season.