The Columbus Blue Jackets have an exciting young group and realistically any of the players in the organization under the age of 24 can break through at any moment. Potential rookies such as Adam Fantilli and David Jiricek will be receiving most of the attention early on, but some players entering their second or third seasons can steal the spotlight quickly. Factoring in a new coach can also do a lot for players who are just starting out or struggled under the previous season as well. As a result, there are quite a few players who can have a breakout season in 2023-24 and today we’ll discuss the top three.
Cole Sillinger
Entering the season with a new number on his jersey and fresh off of a stint in the American Hockey League, there’s a good opportunity for Cole Sillinger to reinvent himself and bounce back after a sophomore slump. He had a decent rookie season, especially considering he was the youngest player in the NHL at the time; however, he took a massive step in the wrong direction during his second professional season. A key aspect of his struggles can be attributed to his abysmal shooting percentage of 3.2 percent, which was a massive drop off from his rookie season’s 10.8 percent. Sometimes bounces just don’t go the right way for a certain player and as a result that can damage confidence and lead to long-term struggles, especially for a very young player.
The most important thing for Sillinger will be how he responds to a coach like Mike Babcock who will almost certainly be much different than anyone he’s experienced in his hockey career so far. There are few coaches still in the league like Babcock, as a result, there’s going to be a culture shock that will hurt some players and help others. Sillinger seems like the type of player who will benefit from a tough coach though, so in his third season, I expect him to play at a level we haven’t seen to this point. There’s no doubt that he has a sky-high ceiling if he can put everything together, and although he had moments that were very frustrating to watch last season, the same can be said for the majority of the team.
Kirill Marchenko
If he had been in the NHL since the beginning of the season, there’s a legitimate chance Kirill Marchenko would’ve been in the conversation for the Calder Memorial Trophy last season. He showed goal-scoring prowess that the Blue Jackets desperately need and there’s no reason that he shouldn’t build on it this coming season. He has the potential to be a 40-goal scorer in the future based on what we’ve seen so far and although his playmaking isn’t represented on the scoresheet, he’s not a slouch in that regard either. With that being said, first and foremost he’s a goal scorer and he’ll only improve going forward.
Marchenko should be a major piece of the top-six forward group and potentially on the first power play unit as well. It’s hard to deny that a power play consisting of Marchenko, Fantilli, Johnny Gaudreau, Patrik Laine and Zach Werenski could be deadly. At the same time though, it may be best to spread out the talent a bit to avoid overly weakening the second unit. Regardless, there is plenty of opportunity for Marchenko to make himself known league-wide if he can follow up his rookie season with an equally impressive sophomore season.
Honorable Mention: Adam Boqvist
While he wasn’t one of the top three players who I believe can have a major breakout season in 2023-24, if Adam Boqvist is still with the team this upcoming season then there’s a chance he’ll finally be able to show how skilled he is and get on the national radar once again. There is a difference between Boqvist and most players in this position though, as there’s not a question of how talented he is at all. He’s a very good offensive defenseman when he’s on the ice, and the numbers show that. However, the key phrase is “when he’s on the ice” and since he’s started playing in the NHL, whether for the Blue Jackets or Chicago Blackhawks, he is out of the lineup nearly as often as he’s in it due to injuries.
It’s a familiar situation for Blue Jackets fans as well, as we saw nearly the exact same thing happen with someone else who wore number 27 just a few years ago, Ryan Murray. If Boqvist is unable to stay healthy in the next few seasons, it’s entirely possible his career follows the same unfortunate trajectory.
Kent Johnson
It wouldn’t be a list of Blue Jackets players or prospects without at least one former Michigan Wolverine being mentioned. Kent Johnson‘s first full season in Columbus after leaving Ann Arbor was an impressive one. Not only was he regularly on the scoresheet but he found himself on highlight reels a few times as well. While Babcock likely won’t be the biggest fan of the flashy plays that Johnson will often try to make, he’d be wise to not get in the way of them either.
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Johnson has the potential to be a star player for the Blue Jackets if things continue down the expected path. With that being said, he can also be more than that. He can easily reach the same level of stardom off the ice as Trevor Zegras based on his entertainment value alone. Between Fantilli and Johnson, there’s no reason that the Blue Jackets can’t be a major talking point for the national media regardless of where they are in the standings, which would be a major win for the organization.
There are a lot of reasons to be excited about the 2023-24 Blue Jackets. Whether it’s the third-year Sillinger or the sophomores who can reach national-level stardom, someone is likely going to have a major breakout season. Add in the rookies who are likely to make the roster, and this is the makings of a team who can surprise a lot of people.
