NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Columbus Blue Jackets.<\/p>\n
The Columbus Blue Jackets are tasked with following a near fairytale.<\/p>\n
Expectations were exceeded last season. Honoring Johnny Gaudreau<\/a> and his brother, Matthew, who died Aug. 29 when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver, the Blue Jackets finished two points behind the New Jersey Devils for third in the Metropolitan Division and the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n That type of story usually warrants a sequel.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is going to lead in to where we want to get,\u201d general manager Don Waddell said. \u201cWhen you make the playoffs, you don\u2019t want it to be a one-and-done situation. You want to be able to make the playoffs and, a few years from now, we\u2019ll stop talking about making the playoffs and it\u2019s about winning the Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cI truly believe, after what I\u2019ve witnessed this year, we have most of the pieces in that locker room.\u201d<\/p>\n This season, the lead actors will be just about the same. Defenseman Zach Werenski<\/a>led Columbus with 82 points (23 goals, 59 assists), ahead of forwards Kirill Marchenko<\/a> (74 points; 31 goals, 43 assists), Kent Johnson<\/a> (57 points; 24 goals, 33 assists), Sean Monahan<\/a> (57 points; 19 goals, 38 assists) and Adam Fantilli<\/a> (54 points; 31 goals, 23 assists).<\/p>\n \u201cI always say you don\u2019t make changes for the sake of change,\u201d Waddell said. \u201cYou make changes to try to make your hockey team better. We felt we did that with the few changes we made. So, any time guys can be together, especially this group, this is a special group.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, everything that happened last year and how they stuck together and how they are moving at the end of the year and moving forward, I think trying to keep the nucleus together was important.\u201d<\/p>\n