Blue Jackets Must Drown Out Offseason Distractions to Make Playoffs – The Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets

Even for Columbus Blue Jackets’ standards, the 2026 offseason has been loud. While they have had more than their fair share of noise throughout the years, this summer felt different.

Zach Werenski was almost traded to the Dallas Stars. Kirill Marchenko reportedly doesn’t want to extend with the Blue Jackets although we have yet to hear from the player directly. Adam Fantilli remains unsigned in late August and as of this writing.

To say it’s been an eventful summer in Columbus would be a massive understatement. Yet, here they are about to embark on a high-stakes 2026-27 season in which they are facing immense pressure to win. Training camp and their first preseason game are each less than a month away.

Welcome to our 2026-27 Blue Jackets’ season preview. From now until camp opens, we will have a series going over some of the biggest questions the team is facing as they hope to end a six-year playoff drought.

We begin today with perhaps one of the most important questions the Blue Jackets will face given how the summer unfolded. Can they drown out the noise of the offseason and keep the focus on hockey?

The Blue Jackets better find a way to move past the noise. If not, a more chaotic 2027 offseason awaits them.

Quick Reset

The Blue Jackets were within a no-move clause away from trading their Norris Trophy winning defenseman. That’s still hard to fathom coming off winning the franchise’s first Norris.

This situation just goes to show the Blue Jackets had to make a decision based on what they knew. While Werenski never asked for a trade, there was still no guarantee he’d put pen to paper on a new deal in two years.

Werenski recently spoke about the situation and said his focus is on remaining in Columbus and winning in Columbus. He was asked if fans should worry about the situation. Not only did he say fans shouldn’t fret about it, he reinforced his commitment to the task at hand.

“When I come to camp,” Werenski said. “I think all my teammates and everyone will know how committed I am. Just excited to get back at it with them.”

The reality is one media availability won’t take everything away although Werenski said the right things. This situation will remain over the team. If they start losing a lot of games, then the noise will only get louder.

If the Blue Jackets are going to drown out the noise, their leaders will have to step up. That’s especially true with Werenski. That’s why he said when camp opens, he will not answer any more questions about his future. He must come to camp locked in. His performance will be the difference between killing the noise and allowing it just enough oxygen to fester.

The same goes with the other situations. Marchenko needs to come into camp ready to perform. Whatever is bothering him must be dealt with early. If the Blue Jackets are to have any hope of making the playoffs, they need him to challenge for 40 goals. If there is any hint of distraction, that won’t benefit anyone.

As for Fantilli, while there is nothing to suggest anything off the rails in these contract negotiations, still having their number-one center unsigned at this point in the offseason will raise some eyebrows. While the expectation remains a deal will be signed in advance of training camp, some have wondered if there will be after effects of dragging out this situation.

Deadlines spur action. If the two sides get a deal done before camp, all is good. If this gets to camp and there’s still no deal, piling that on to the other noise would be the last thing anyone needs.

But no matter what comes up, it will be on the leadership to make sure issues are dealt with. There is too much at stake from the Blue Jackets’ perspective to let any of these narratives linger.

Power of Experience

This is where having experience in key spots should benefit the Blue Jackets. GM Don Waddell has seen everything in his time. Head coach Rick Bowness has seen just as much.

If there is anyone equipped to be able to handle these kind of the issues and the adversity that goes with it, it’s Waddell and Bowness.

Waddell has been in constant communication with Werenski. Both sides have called those talks good and productive. They’ve been able to calm the waters down for now.

Waddell is also working with Fantilli’s camp to hammer out a deal. Then we’ll see how he handles Marchenko’s situation. The GM said he expects Marchenko to be at camp.

Bowness has helped teams overcome major situations firsthand. The way he handled the Dallas Stars when he took over for a fired Jim Montgomery stands out. The team was on edge due to a tough start to the season. Then Covid hit. Players were isolated from their families. There was as much mental strain as anyone could handle. Yet, it was Bowness who was the calming presence in the midst of the craziness.

Bowness did things such as check in with players on their mental health among other important things. Players today still credit him with being an important part of their turnaround. The Stars went on to the Stanley Cup Final.

Bowness also turned the Winnipeg Jets into one of the best defensive teams in the NHL while winning a President’s Trophy. His philosophy of caring and honesty resonates with his players. The Jets were a mess culturally before him. His presence helped repair them.

Having experience matters. The Blue Jackets will now have a full season to work with Bowness. He will make sure the noise is killed. He’s done it before. He’ll do everything he can to do it again.

Once Camp Starts & Some History

Sept 17 is the first on-ice day of Blue Jackets’ Training Camp. Once that day arrives, the offseason becomes last week’s news.

The best teams use camp as the time to begin with a fresh slate no matter what has happened. The story becomes the daily grind of getting ready for a very important season. The Blue Jackets have plenty of examples in recent history they can look back on to illustrate the point.

Before they won the Stanley Cup, the 2018 Washington Capitals couldn’t get over the hump. The noise around Alex Ovechkin was loud. It was even hostile at times.

However, they kept their core group together throughout the noise. They absorbed it. They played through it. They eventually won it all.

Remember the early years of Connor McDavid with the Edmonton Oilers? All you would read was ‘Could they win with him?’ While they’re still looking for a Stanley Cup, they’re an annual playoff contender and have made it to the Final twice.

The Oilers for years couldn’t shake the noise of competence and long-term direction. Now they are on most every list of elite contenders.

Those are just two examples of many in how a team’s ability to drown out noise matters. The 2026-27 Blue Jackets must do the same.

Here is the all-important question. Can these Blue Jackets compartmentalize and look past the noise? Or is their group still not built to handle things when the heat is set to high?

The best thing these Blue Jackets can do to calm the waters is come to camp ready to work. Then once the regular season starts, the best thing they can do is win. Winning does solve a lot of things. Not only would that calm the noise down, it would show the team is continuing to make progress.

The Blue Jackets will all say they’ve moved past the summer events. We will see. Especially if the team starts 1-3-1 or worse, we’ll know in short order if they’ve truly moved past the craziness of this offseason.

If the Blue Jackets make the playoffs this season, it’ll be because they were able to put the past in the past. If they don’t, the noise will have a more permanent place around the team next summer and maybe beyond.