If you've been watching the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, you know that they are absolutely littered with former Columbus Blue Jackets players. From Vegas and Colorado to Carolina and Montreal, there is no shortage of former CBJ to watch.
But, with last night's sweep of the Colorado Avalanche, the Vegas Golden Knights will be sending a trio of former players to the Cup final. Oh, and the head coach, John Tortorella.
Brandon Saad - Traded to Columbus in June of 2015. He then played two seasons, totaling 106 points, before being traded back to the Chicago Blackhawks in June of 2017 for Artemi Panarin. He has 2 points in 5 playoff games for Vegas.
William Karlsson - Contrary to popular belief, Karlsson was not drafted by the CBJ. He was traded to Columbus in March of 2015. He played two full seasons and totaled 45 points for Columbus. The CBJ left him unprotected in the 2017 Vegas expansion draft and was snatched up by the VGK. The Vegas original has now played nine seasons for the Golden Knights and totaled 403 points, highlighted by his wacky first season in the desert, where he scored 43 goals and 78 points. He hasn't come anywhere close to the 43 goals and 78 points since that 2018 season. He has 76 points in 116 playoff games for Vegas.
Keegan Kolesar - Ok, I admit, this one is a bit of a stretch since he never actually played for Columbus, but he was chosen 69th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He was traded to the VGK on June 24, 2017, in exchange for a pick that would become Alex Texier. The Vegas original has 120 points in 439 games for Vegas. He has 4 goals in 72 playoff games.
John Tortorella - Vegas shocked the NHL world when they fired Bruce Cassidy before the season's end. Since then, he's led the Knights to a division title and has just swept the heavy cup favorite Colorado Avalanche. In Columbus, he led his teams to a 227-166-54 record with four playoff appearances. Included in that is the historic sweep of the 2019 Tampa Bay Lightning team, which highly resembled the Avs team he just swept.
The Vegas Golden Knights await the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens series, which features a couple more former Blue Jackets.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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