It's been a very forgettable season in Columbus to say the least.
The Blue Jackets have suffered through a difficult, injury-plagued season. This all coming on the heels of a rebuilding phase that started back in 2020.
Before the season, there were a lot of high hopes about this rebuild with the acquisition of Johnny Gaudreau prior to this season gave Jacket fans hope for the future.
It was a major deal for Columbus to sign of one of the best young free agents. Heck, it even turned a lot of heads across the league.
But since then, things haven't been very eyeopening. More like eye-shutting.
As it stands, Columbus currently holds the league's worst record at 21-39-7 and are vying for the No. 1 pick in the NHL Lottery this offseason.
And right before the trade deadline, the front office made several moves. Some of which would even be approved by the Cincinnati Reds front office.
In two separate deals, the team dealt forward Gustav Nyquist, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo out right before the trade deadline. All of which were fan favorites, but had contracts set to expire at the end of the season.
In return, Columbus received three draft picks, including what will likely be a second first-round pick this season from Los Angeles if they make the playoffs. They also received goaltender Jonathan Quick, who was traded to Las Vegas before the deadline.
So the Blue Jackets, who have made six first-round selections in the past three drafts, will most likely have 10 picks as they head into the 2023 draft that features quite a bit of talented prospects.
It's also worth remembering Columbus has plenty of young talent on their roster and down in the minors, especially when it comes to blueliners.
So there is hope for the future when you look at what the Blue Jackets have to work with. But in the meantime, us fans are going to have to endure quite bit before things get better.
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