A Columbus season swoon could lead to a juggernaut with McDavid or Eichel
Columbus Blue Jackets, don’t do it. Don’t go on a winning streak for the ages. You are so perfectly positioned to create a perfectly scripted dynasty, that any sort of success this year would lend otherwise.
Ack, Sergei Bobrovsky to Puck Rakers after a win over San Jose on Saturday night:
“We’ve had a tough time here. Now, we need to enjoy this, to get this feeling back, the winning feeling. But we still have lots of work ahead of us.” – Bobrovsky on winning consecutive games after losing nine in a row.
We know that the NHL has said that nobody is tanking for Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. But the Blue Jackets are in prime position to have a top-tier team for a long time, if they’re able to get one of those two possible franchise players.
Just think. Columbus has a No. 1 center in Ryan Johansen. Ryan Murray is a potential cornerstone defenseman. Sergei Bobrovksy? One of the best goalies in the league.
Add Eichel or McDavid to the mix, you have hockey nirvana in Columbus.
It seems like if you mention Eichel’s or McDavid’s names and the words Buffalo, Edmonton, Carolina or Florida come out of people’s mouths. But you should add Columbus to the mix. Or at least the seemingly endlessly suffering Blue Jackets fans should want to be added to the mix.
Columbus – mostly due to all their injuries – has the second-worst record in the NHL. However, the Blue Jackets are getting healthy. Bobrovksy, arguably the team’s MVP, is back, as is forward Artem Anisimov. They've won two in a row...
It doesn’t much matter who else returns to health – be it Murray or Brandon Dubinsky, a healthy Bob rules all for Columbus and could personally take them out of the McDavid/Eichel sweepstakes.
Even at full health, is this team a Stanley Cup contender? Probably not. Which is why McDavid or Eichel in Columbus could lead to longer-term stability in Ohio.
Hockey readers don’t seem to like the NBA, but this is a parallel that makes sense.
Remember that one year that David Robinson was hurt which enabled the San Antonio Spurs to get Tim Duncan?
This could be a similar situation. The Blue Jackets have young, successful, cost efficient, NHL ready talent, along with solid management in John Davidson, that could be a great landing spot for either super prospect.
Last playoffs, against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus was an NHL darling amongst fans. In a weird way, they’re one bad season away from creating a dynasty … unless ‘Bob’ says anything about it.
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