The 2025-26 Wild-Card Chase: Werenski, Greaves, and a Franchise-Defining Stretch Run
Zach Werenski returned from the Milano Cortina Olympics with a gold medal — he assisted on Jack Hughes' overtime winner to give the U.S. its first hockey gold since 1980 — and came back to Columbus as the Norris Trophy odds favorite. His 1.19 points-per-game rate leads all NHL defensemen. Behind him, goaltender Jet Greaves has been the team's steadiest force, and the Jackets have gone 13-2-3 under interim head coach Rick Bowness. Columbus extended its point streak to eight games with a Fantilli tally on March 13, sitting three points back of Boston for the second wild card. New GM Don Waddell swung for Conor Garland at the deadline, signaling this franchise's 25th season is not a year to tank.
Nationwide Arena: Where the Cannon Fires and Columbus Gets Loud
There is no goal celebration in the NHL quite like the cannon blast at Nationwide Arena — a moment that never gets old whether you're in the front row or the upper deck. Columbus set a franchise record with 161 home goals in 2024-25 and tied a franchise record with 57 home standings points that same year, turning the building into a genuine homecourt advantage. Fans chant 'C-B-J' in waves and rally around the military-inspired identity of this franchise, a club that Ohio claimed as its own from its 2000 expansion debut. In the franchise's 25th anniversary season, that bond between Columbus and its lone NHL team has never felt tighter.
Columbus vs. Pittsburgh: Ohio Hockey's Fiercest Grudge Match
No rivalry runs hotter in Blue Jackets history than the one with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 2019 first-round sweep — Columbus stunning a 100-point Pittsburgh team in four straight — remains the defining moment of the franchise, a David-vs-Goliath upset that put the hockey world on notice. The teams battle in the same Metropolitan Division, and the Penguins sit directly ahead of Columbus in the wild-card race right now, making every meeting in 2025-26 feel like a playoff game in its own right. For CBJ fans, beating Pittsburgh never gets old — it's proof that Ohio hockey is here to stay.
Never Miss a Wild-Card Shift: The Jackets Briefing Built for CBJ Anxiety
Columbus fans know the pain of obsessively refreshing standings, missing a Werenski explosion because you were stuck in traffic on 270, or waking up to find out the Bruins got a point last night and the gap just widened. Scoutcast delivers a personalized audio briefing every morning with everything you need — standings, scores, roster moves, and Norris Trophy chatter — in the time it takes to drive from Grandview to downtown. In a wild-card race decided by two points last year and just as tight in 2025-26, staying informed isn't optional. Let Scoutcast be your beat reporter, cannon and all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Columbus has gone 13-2-3 under Rick Bowness and extended its point streak to eight games as of March 13, 2026. The Jackets sit three points behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with a handful of games to play.
As of March 13, 2026, Columbus is three points behind Boston for the second Eastern wild card and four back of the Islanders for third in the Metropolitan Division. Every game is a must-win as the Jackets push to end a five-year playoff drought.
Werenski is the current Norris Trophy odds favorite at -115, leading all NHL defensemen with a 1.19 points-per-game rate this season. He also won Olympic gold for Team USA in Milano Cortina 2026, assisting on the overtime winner against Canada — a resume that's hard to top.
Fantilli scored in Columbus's March 13 win to extend the team's point streak to eight games and continues to anchor the top line alongside Kirill Marchenko and Cole Sillinger. He broke out with 31 goals in 2024-25, becoming the first player from his 2023 draft class to hit 30.
Marchenko matched Fantilli with 31 goals in 2024-25 and remains a key power-play weapon on Columbus's top line in 2025-26. He scored a crucial power-play tying goal in a recent home game against the Kings, showcasing the lethal wrist shot that makes him a matchup problem every night.
Jet Greaves is Columbus's emerging starting goaltender who went 8-0-2 in his last 11 starts without a regulation loss during the Jackets' surge. He ranks among the NHL's top goalies in goals saved above expected and has been the backbone of the team's late-season playoff push under Bowness.
New Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell acquired winger Conor Garland from Vancouver at the trade deadline, adding scoring depth and speed to the lineup. Garland scored twice in his second game as a Jacket, immediately paying dividends in Columbus's wild-card push.