Building a Winner: The Columbus Blue Jackets’ Path to Sustained Success.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the cusp of something special. With a talented young core, a deep prospect pool, and a renewed sense of purpose, the team is poised to make a significant leap in the coming seasons. At the heart of this transformation is Damon Severson, a veteran defenseman who has seen firsthand what it takes for a young team to develop into a perennial contender.

Severson, who spent the majority of his career with the New Jersey Devils before signing with the Blue Jackets in the offseason, has witnessed the growth of some of the league’s most promising young talents. From Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes to Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt, Severson has seen the Devils’ rebuild unfold, culminating in a successful 2022-23 season that saw the team amass 112 points and reach the second round of the playoffs.

The Importance of Patience and Development

While the Devils’ success this past season was a testament to the hard work and dedication of their young stars, it was also the result of years of patience and development. Severson understands that building a winner takes time, and he sees the same process unfolding in Columbus.

“The biggest thing is trying to take another step,” Severson said. “I saw it in New Jersey – the Hischiers, the Hughes, the Jesper Bratts. Some of these young players, you can see the talent, you can see the skills, you can see the work ethic. Everything is there. Now it’s a matter of taking that next step.”

The Blue Jackets have a unique opportunity to build a sustained winner from the ground up, much like the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Colorado Avalanche have done in recent years. With a top-rated prospect pool and six first-round picks in the last three years, the team has the resources to create a winning culture that will last for years to come.

The Challenges of Youth

However, building a winner is not without its challenges. The Blue Jackets entered the 2022-23 season with the third-youngest roster in the league, with an average age of 25.8. Three of the 15 youngest players in the NHL – Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, and David Jiricek – were on the roster, and by the end of the season, the team had iced 11 players age 22 or younger.

Competing against teams whose cores have been together for years, like many of the league’s elite squads, is an uphill battle for such a young team. As head coach Pascal Vincent noted, “It’s a game of men. You look at the teams that are winning, you look at the history of the NHL in the past 10 years, the teams that are making the playoffs are not the youngest teams in the NHL.”

The Role of Veterans and Leadership

To overcome these challenges, the Blue Jackets are relying on their veteran leadership to guide the team’s young stars. Captain Boone Jenner and alternates Zach Werenski, Sean Kuraly, and Erik Gudbranson are working to ensure that the youngsters have good role models to follow. Severson, Johnny Gaudreau, and other veterans are also playing a crucial role in shaping the team’s culture and identity.

Werenski, in particular, is optimistic about the team’s future, despite the challenges of the 2022-23 season. “In terms of where we’re at right now, I don’t really think we’re far off,” he said. “I don’t think we’re as bad as our record showed this year or where we’re at in the standings. Obviously in saying that, the standings are the standings, wins are wins and losses are losses. We have a lot of work to do, but I think we have a lot of good pieces in there.”

The Path Forward

As the Blue Jackets look to the future, the focus is on continued development and a collective buy-in from the entire team. The young players on the squad feel good about how things have gone so far, and the hope is to build a close-knit unit that will have a lot to celebrate in the years to come.

Severson, who has seen the process unfold in New Jersey, is confident that the Blue Jackets are on the right track. “We have a lot of talent,” he said. “It’s just that collective buy-in as a team. It starts with older guys making sure the young guys buy in and are playing for each other. It’s something if we do that, we’re gonna have some success.”

With a talented young core, a deep prospect pool, and a renewed sense of purpose, the Columbus Blue Jackets are poised to make a significant leap in the coming seasons. While the path to sustained success may be long and challenging, the team has the resources and the leadership to overcome any obstacles that come their way. As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and the Blue Jackets are taking the necessary steps to build a winner that will last for years to come.