How the Blue Jackets Can Be a Contender, Part 2: Developing the Core – Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets

We also took a look back at how we got to this point with the Columbus Blue Jackets in Part 1 of how they could be contenders. We now focus on finding permanent solutions to make this team a perennial Stanley Cup contender.

Today in Part 2, we focus on what the Blue Jackets need to do to improve their current core. But before we get into that topic, we must ask an important question first.

Who exactly makes up the current core of the Blue Jackets?

In this case, it is not 100% known yet who is the core. What it looks like today may be different than what it looks like not only in 2027-28, but this coming season as well.

The reason there is an unknown is because of the noise surrounding Kirill Marchenko. As we said on Sunday, there is nothing new to report about him at this time. Although that may change later, there is nothing close to that. Until more concrete evidence is forthcoming, we’ll treat Marchenko as part of the Blue Jackets’ core for the purposes of this discussion.

Defining the Blue Jackets’ Core

The truth is that the Blue Jackets have many high quality players. That alone is not good enough to be a contender of the year but they are still better than most people are willing to admit.

We will divide the spine into three sections. There are team anchors, players who should be celebrities. Then there is the second tier who are currently downgraded from that top tier but are expected to take significant steps to be part of the first tier. Then there are key supporting players and other areas that need strengthening.

Here is how we see the current core as of this writing.

Anchors: Zach Werenski, Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko.

Future anchors: Cole Sillinger, Kent Johnson, Dmitri Voronkov, Denton Mateychuk, Jet Greaves.

Key supporting cast: Ivan Provorov, Damon Severson, Sean Monahan, Charlie Coyle, Conor Garland, Valeri Nichushkin, Mathieu Olivier.

Questions: The performance of the third defensive pair, the makeup of the fourth line, the backup goaltender.

The Blue Jackets’ clearest path to becoming a contender goes to this team. If they don’t live up to their potential, the second move won’t matter given how difficult it is to add top talent in today’s NHL.

That’s why increasing the talent of this team and helping it reach its ceiling must be at the top of the list of priorities for the Blue Jackets if they want to finally get to where they want to go.

Jumping from potential threat to threat is always one of the hardest things to do when you’re a team like the Blue Jackets that missed the playoffs the way they did. They are in six consecutive seasons without making the postseason.

Balance in play is a fine line between allowing young players to stay together long enough for them to confidently settle in and make big changes as there are no visible consequences.

GM Don Waddell combined to keep their young core together and make significant changes to their roster. Now it’s up to this team to take the next step after two failed seasons.

Expanding the core will depend entirely on what happens with Marchenko because that looks different depending on the outcome of his situation.

Access Ceilings

This is a complete review of the Green Jackets. Their core should be able to reach their full potential. There is no other way around.

To do that, the coaching staff led by head coach Rick Bowness must use players to play to their strengths while keeping the structure smart. What will that be like?

For Werenski, he’ll go out of his way to win the Norris Trophy and be the team’s MVP by a long shot. Not only will he need to produce like that again, he’ll need to find a way to get even better. Even if the offense slows down a bit, improving his position play will go a long way in preventing goals, something the Blue Jackets must do to be successful in 2026-27.

For Fantilli, although he has not yet been signed as of this writing, it is expected that he will be signed soon. He will be paid as a top center on an up-and-coming team. The onus will be on him to live up to expectations. That’s a consistent two-way threat who puts up 30 goals and 80-90 points or more per season.

Fantilli finished 2025-26 with 24 goals but could have had more given the opportunities he had. That’s the consistency we’re talking about. The talent is there. You just need to translate that into results.

Another way it will happen is through his colleagues. The addition of Nichushkin doesn’t get enough attention on one important aspect: The speed aspect. If he has to play with Fantilli and Marchenko, that has the potential to be one of the fastest lines in the NHL. The quality of the players he works with will have a big impact on Fantilli’s ceiling.

Speaking of Marchenko, assuming he’s with the Blue Jackets this season, he needs to shoot the puck early and often while being a threat on the power play. His ceiling is 40+ goals. His talent is undeniable. But if last season was anything to go by, it’s that he needs to be more consistent defensively while also getting used to the teams that play him the most. He got a taste of being at the center of the opposition’s game plan. It was up to him now to respond by raising the bar and face that challenge head on.

Shouldn’t Marchenko be on the Blue Jackets, depending on the return, that changes the conversation. The team had to find a way to cover everything that came with it. Either his replacement will have to make up some of that deficit or a team effort will be needed. Regardless, replacing Marchenko will be almost impossible to do with just one player.

That flexibility is what makes the next layer of context so important. They have to deliver more than they did last season. Whether Marchenko is in the team or not, that second core team will determine how 2026-27 plays out.

Johnson is a great player. Put him in a position to distribute the puck. He is not a fourth line player. He has a 20-goal season in his career. He needs to prove himself as a constant threat for the top six.

Voronkov is dangerous around blue paint. He causes trouble in front of the goalkeeper and is good on the deflection. As the seasons have gone by, his production has declined. Finding the right plan for him to continue to be strong throughout the season has to happen.

Sillinger has established himself as a top player who isn’t afraid to play physical. He has a lot to offer offensively and he knows it. Some nights his line will be called upon to shut down the opposition. But on another night when the Blue Jackets’ top players are holding back, Sillinger and his teammates have to add secondary scoring to the mix. It needs to start closer to 50 points while continuing the work it does in the end.

The presence of Mateychuk cannot be underestimated. If you consider Werenski, Mateychuk, Provorov and Severson as a top four, some metrics have them as one of the top four teams in the NHL. Severson’s injury really disrupted the end of last season. Another season for this team together should boost their confidence and help open up players going forward.

Mateychuk’s 13 goals and 31 points in his second season is a very encouraging sign. The Blue Jackets have multiple scoring threats from the blue line. Mateychuk and Provorov must continue what they started last season, especially at the defensive end.

Greaves has his new contract in hand and is ready to take the next step as the Blue Jackets’ potential No. 1 goaltender. His rise is one of the reasons the team stayed in the race late in the season. He will have to show another level especially when the games are tight where 3-2 and 2-1 games are common. So if he doesn’t start, can Elvis Merzlikins provide enough quality starts?

As for the rest of the team, they know what their roles will be. They have a lot to offer. The Blue Jackets in 2026-27 are slated to be a faster team than last season. They will have a full season of Bowness preparing them. The elements of success are there. But if this core group remains stagnant, it’s time to worry.

Final thoughts

All in all, the Blue Jackets are not in a bad situation even though they have made a lot of noise about them in the media. There is a good pool of talent in the team. But until they can unlock the power of that great talent, it’s fair to wonder how far they are from being a contender.

While there are questions hanging over them, all the Blue Jackets can do is help calm the waters so they can make the most of the 2026-27 season. To do that, they have to grow their core. There is no exception. There is not much in that and we will come back next season wondering what the future of the club will look like.

If the Blue Jackets can start increasing their total now, that will go a long way in helping them become a perennial Stanley Cup contender. They are not there but they have to start somewhere.

Stay tuned for Part 3 where we turn our attention to completing the puzzle, a detailed look at what still needs to be built at midfield including key missing pieces to reach perennial contender status.