The Columbus Blue Jackets won't be the easiest team to predict this season, mostly because of the uncertainty surrounding the organization and who will be on the team by mid-season. Adam Fantilli still hasn't signed a contract as the two sides battle over a fair price amid rising contracts; Kirill Marchenko's name is in trade talks; and who knows if Zach Werenski is actually content to stay? 

The Blue Jackets surprisingly finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division last season, making a miraculous run to nearly claim a playoff spot after Rick Bowness took over as head coach. It was a feel-good story for a franchise that needed a boost, but a sour end to the season and the offseason rumors about Werenski cast a dark cloud over an otherwise great comeback campaign. 

Hockey is a difficult sport to predict, so please gamble responsibly. Betting lines are from Fanduel Sportsbook and is subject to change.

You can get some great value here for a team that did look like the worst team in the division for half of last season. Bowness cast some type of magic spell over the team to give fans hope, but even he admitted that the group still didn't have what it took, as shown by their late-season collapse.

The Blue Jackets could be getting a late-arriving Fantilli, which usually never bodes well for a player's season outlook when they hold out. Marchenko may not make it through the season, Werenski might not be completely bought in, and the team's big addition this season is the notoriously unreliable Valeri Nichushkin. 

The New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and New York Rangers should all be better this season, and it wouldn't be surprising at all to see them jump the Blue Jackets and leave them at the bottom of the division. 

I love watching Werenski play as one of the top defensemen in the league, but the roster surrounding him here leaves plenty to be desired. The reigning Norris Trophy winner earned the award by putting the team on his back and leading the team by 14 points as a defenseman, but it isn't easy to do that year over year. 

He also led the team in 2024-25, but Marchenko's production helped his offense over the past two years, and he finished runner-up both times. If Marchenko remains disgruntled or the front office finds a trade, I'm not so sure that Fantilli (if he even starts the season) and Charlie Coyle are enough to get Werenski over the finish line on this total.

The Michigan native had 82 and 81 points over the last two seasons, barely hitting the 80-point mark in two outstanding years. Can he do it again? Maybe, but even another great Norris-caliber year could see him finish with more of a 70-75 point season.