When the Columbus Blue Jackets signed Ryan Lomberg to a contract this summer, many CBJ fans wondered, "What for?"
They have Mathieu Olivier as their tough guy and Miles Wood as their motor guy. Lomberg fits both of those roles. Miles Wood is now gone, so that's clear the path for Lomberg to be 100% that guy.
Lomberg, per his owns words, was brought in to help take the pressure off of Mathieu Olivier. Meaning he (Olivier) could essentially play his game, fight when absolutely needed, and be an intimidating face on the ice. You might remember that Olivier broke his hand fighting late in the season, which essentially was the nail in the Jackets coffin.
So what's my hot take?
Mathieu Olivier will score 25 goals and total 45 points in 2026-27!
He had a great year last year, even though he missed 21 games. He was on pace for 20 goals, which would have surpassed his 18 from the year before.
He was also on pace for 35 points, which would've been better than the 32 from the previous season. Playing with Charlie Coyle and Cole Sillinger last year seemed to have made all three better.
Olivier has gotten better over the last few years, and there's no reason why he won't continue to do so. With the addition of Lomberg and him taking some of the fighting and intimidation away from Mathieu, why shouldn't he get better? He has the skills.
What do you think? Can Mathieu Olivier hit these numbers?
