In this edition of the hotstove we discuss whether the Columbus Blue Jackets are toast or if they can still crawl back into the playoff race.
Todd Cordell I think the Blue Jackets are toast.
In today's NHL it's harder than ever to make up ground in a playoff race and I think the Jackets dug themselves too big of a hole to crawl out of.
It's going to take some time before they right the ship and key players like Sergei Bobrovsky get back on track and by that point they'll likely be even further out of the race.
I just can't see them winning ~45 of the next 74 games, especially with a very mediocre defense core.
I hate to say it but I think their season is over before it really got started.
Tim Chiasson I think the Blue Jackets can still stay alive.
Sergei Bobrovsky is a much better goaltender than he's shown so far this season and the Blue Jackets are a much better team in general. I even think they're better than Carolina, Philly and New Jersey.
0-8 is a huge hole to crawl out of, but I think that this team can rebound and start putting the puck in the net, get much better goaltending and, perhaps, make a deal to improve their blueline. This team won nine straight at one point last year. Now, that's a huge feat to repeat, but if the points are picked up over twenty, thirty games then it's doable.
They're only 7 points back of a playoff spot right now with 74 games left to play. If I'm Columbus, I'm not too concerned just yet.
Matt Henderson DONE. Dead. Over. Finished. Caput.
Abandon ye all hope who enter.
The Blue Jackets season is finished and in record time. Edmonton held the previous Salary Cap era record of being realistically eliminated from the playoffs by Halloween. The new record holder is the Columbus Blue Jackets, eliminated October 22nd. Finally, Edmonton no longer bears that shame any longer.
It is almost impossible to make up 8 games in the NHL. Essentially they are playing a 74 game schedule while everyone else is playing 82. It's a development year in whatever sense they want to make of it. Moral victories from here on out only.
John Jaeckel Toast.
Because here's the thing. They were a team that was expected to be better, not great. So at 0-8, even if/when they play better and become that "better" team everyone (myself included) expected, they still won't be a great team. And therefore, their chances of overcoming a start like this are not very good.
A couple of hard facts remain. The Blue Jackets are not very strong along the blue line and they aren't very deep in terms of quality forward lines. I just don't buy that the 0-7 start was all Todd Richards' fault, nor that John Tortorella is the savior.
James Tanner They are absolutely 100% toast. The Blue Jackets would have to play about .650 hockey the rest of the way to make the Playoffs.
Five teams did that last season. Therefore, they will not be making the Playoffs.
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