How far away is Columbus from returning to the playoffs?

[PenguinSuitedUp]

In that case, then, I have that in common with the overwhelming majority of hockey observers, who generally put Fantilli right behind Celebrini based on Celebrini being more NHL-ready at draft time. Couple that with your having started out suggesting a timetable that is, frankly, absurd for any franchise in the history of the League, and I subsequenty find it extremely hard to believe that good faith and honesty ever came into it to begin with. There's differences of perspective and opinion, and then there's going out of your way to express evaluations that are so exceptionally out of place as to reflect outcomes that would seem borderline impossible. It'd be like me trying to justify picking Pittsburgh finishing last in the League this year and next - without assuming Crosby being injured or anything - as "just my opinion being different".

That comparison is actually pretty baseless, because the Penguins, as well as many other teams, have proven that they can develop and retain star talent, build around that talent, and win. The Blue Jackets haven’t proven that once in their existence. So it’s hard for me to have confidence in their drafting and development of players in a meaningful way for their franchise. Meanwhile, the Jackets are basically 30 points/15 wins away from being an average 8 seed(which I believe is around 94-96 points). For argument’s sake, let’s say a guy like Fantilli grows into prime MacKinnon by next year. Even a prime MacKinnon has a WAR impact of 3ish games per season. So now you still need 12 more wins. Even if you do everything right, you aren’t going to acquire and/or develop enough players to make up that gap in 3 years without a huge PDO swing. And the Blue Jackets have a track record for mismanagement, as have many other teams in all of sports. So there’s plenty of reason here to believe that the Blue Jackets are more than 5 years from being competitive.

 

[MNRube]

no team is ever 5 -7 years away from being competitive in the NHL. It may happen accidentally but there is way too much parity and this sport relies way too much on goaltending for that assertion to hold any water. If the Jackets are 7 years away, does that make Pittsburgh 14?

 

[brentashton]

You will find this thread has already derailed into pointless, baseless hate, and it’s barely three pages in.

The org has been a tire fire for the most part. 23 seasons, 6 postseason appearances and 2 series wins, the last one being 5 years ago. It’s probably more deserved and warranted than baseless.

But Dean Evason and Don Waddell might be able to turn that Waste Management receptacle around.

 

[PenguinSuitedUp]

no team is ever 5 -7 years away from being competitive in the NHL. It may happen accidentally but there is way too much parity and this sport relies way too much on goaltending for that assertion to hold any water. If the Jackets are 7 years away, does that make Pittsburgh 14?

I could very easily see the Penguins being 10 years away contenders. They have no pipeline and still have to live out the Crosby, Malkin, Letang contracts, wallowing in the middle of the league. I have no issue with that; it’s a product of the success they’ve brought to their franchise over their careers.

 

[njdevils1982]

How far away is Columbus?

It's like right next door to New Jersey - Gaudreau

don't you mean philly?

wasn't that his preferred destination with all the rumours before the deal was done?

 

[hangman005]

Locking this for a day or two... I think a pause to this discussion considering what has happened is warranted.