Last Word On Hockey brings our Team of the Decade series. We will dive into the best player at each position this decade for every organization. The biggest and best at each position, with the most memorable moments in franchise history. Here is the Columbus Blue Jackets decade lineup.
Columbus Blue Jackets Decade Team
The Columbus Blue Jackets decade started slowly as the team failed to reach 90 points in each of its first three seasons. However, Columbus has reached the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons and four times in the decade.
The second-youngest NHL franchise does not have a rich history of players, but here are the ones that made the Blue Jackets all-decade team.
Left-Wing: Nick Foligno (2012-Present)
Nick Foligno has been one of the best players in Blue Jackets’ history. His 557 games in a Blue Jackets uniform are tied for third-most in franchise history.
After being traded from the Ottowa Senators in 2012, Foligno made an immediate impact on the ice. One of his biggest moments came during the 2014 playoffs where he scored an overtime goal in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. It was the first playoff overtime goal in the Blue Jackets stadium, sending Nationwide Arena into a frenzy.
The following season, Foligno was named a captain of one of the 2015 NHL All-Star teams. The 2014-15 season was Foligno’s best. He scored 31 goals and 42 assists for 73 points in 79 games.
After the 2014-15 season, Foligno was named captain of the Blue Jackets, becoming the first team captain since 2012. He became the sixth captain in franchise history and remains captain of the team.
Foligno has been a reliable and consistent piece for Columbus during his tenure. In his eight years with Columbus this decade, he has 135 goals and 183 assists for 318 points in 557 games.
He ranks third in franchise history in goals, assists and points. Foligno is one of the faces of the Columbus Blue Jackets decade and one of the most important players in franchise history.
Centre: Brandon Dubinsky (2012-Present)
Brandon Dubinsky arrived in Columbus after being traded from the New York Rangers in 2012. The two-way centre had a slow start in his debut season with Columbus scoring just two goals and 18 assists in 29 games.
In the following years, Dubinsky’s play began to earn the trust of his teammates and he found a role on the ice. He appeared in 152 games during his first three seasons in Columbus, scoring 31 goals and 75 assists for 106 points.
Dubinsky spent two seasons as an alternate captain of the Blue Jackets before being stripped of his “A” before the 2017 season. Dubinsky was a member of the first Blue Jackets team to win a playoff series after sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019 playoffs.
In his seven seasons with the Blue Jackets, he has appeared in 430 games scoring 72 goals and 153 assists for 225 points. His 225 points are sixth-most in franchise history and he goes down as the centre for the Columbus Blue Jackets team of the decade.
Right-Wing: Cam Atkinson (2011-Present)
Arguably just as important to the franchise is Cam Atkinson. Atkinson is possibly Columbus’s best draft pick other than Rick Nash. Taken in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL draft, Atkinson made his debut with the Blue Jackets during the 2011-12 season where he scored seven goals and seven assists in 27 games.
Atkinson had a breakout season in 2013-14 scoring 21 goals and 19 assists for 40 points in 79 games. Despite his smaller size, he became known for his speed and good hands.
He has scored over 20 goals in six of his previous seven seasons and been the offensive force for Columbus. In his nine seasons with Columbus, he has 198 goals and 170 assists for 368 points in 571 games.
He ranks second in franchise history in games played, goals and points. He has seen it all in Columbus and is the longest-tenured player on the list. Atkinson has had sustained success during the 2010s and was the best offensive player for the Blue Jackets during this time.
Left Defencemen: Zach Werenski (2016-Present)
The member with the shortest tenure in Columbus, Zach Werenski, has made a large impact on the Blue Jackets in his four years there. Columbus selected him eighth overall in the 2015 NHL draft.
Wereksnki made an immediate impact upon his debut in 2016, being named the NHL Rookie of the Month in November 2016. He would set the Blue Jackets record for most points by a rookie, beating Nash by eight games.
Werenski showed his toughness during the Blue Jackets series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2017 playoffs. He took a puck off the face that cause a serious cut, yet he would return for a short time in the third period.
The offensively-skilled defenceman has scored double-digit goals in each of his first four seasons. He set a career-high with 20 goals this season.
In just four seasons, Werenski has shown the skill and toughness that Columbus has come to love. Despite only debuting in 2016, his early-career success has helped Columbus to its most successful seasons in franchise history.
His 58 career goals are already the most by a defenceman in Blue Jackets history. He adds 111 assists for 169 career points in 300 games. To end the decade, Werenski signed a three-year contract extension in 2019, keeping him in Columbus through the 2021-22 season.
Right Defenceman: Seth Jones (2016-Present)
Seth Jones was traded to Columbus midway through the 2015-16 season in exchange for forward Ryan Johansen. Jones arrived in Columbus having never scored more than eight goals in his first two seasons.
Upon his arrival, Jones improved his play to a new level. In his first full season with Columbus, Jones set career highs with 12 goals and 30 assists for 42 points.
He set new career-highs in those categories during the 2017-18 season. Jones scored 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points in 78 games.
Jones had become an offensive threat while remaining one of the most bruising defencemen in the league. The 6-foot-4 defenceman set a career-high with 106 hits during the 2018-19 season.
Over the past few seasons, Jones has developed into a top defender for the Blue Jackets, averaging over 25 minutes on ice. Often paired with Werenski, the duo has become one of the best defensive pairs over the past few seasons. Seth Jones gets the nod for the best right-defenceman of the Columbus Blue Jackets decade.
Goaltender: Sergei Bobrovsky (2012-2019)
Sergei Bobrovsky is by far the best goaltender in franchise history. He is arguably the best player in franchise history. Bobrovsky leads the franchise in nearly every meaningful goaltending stat.
While in Columbus, Bobrovsky was selected to two All-Star games, won the Vezina Trophy twice as the NHL’s best goaltender, and led the Blue Jackets to three of their four all-time playoff appearances. He is the only active goaltender with two Vezina Trophy wins.
Bobrovsky was one of seven goaltenders to appear in over 500 games in the decade — 374 of them in a Blue Jackets uniform. His 2.41 goals-against-average, .921 save percentage, 213 wins and 33 shutouts rank first in franchise history among any goaltender with over 50 games played.
Not only was Bobrovsky the best goaltender Columbus has ever seen, but he was also one of the best goaltenders in all of the league for the entire decade. He has a chance at being the first jersey retired by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Honourable Mentions
Defenceman David Savard appeared in nearly 500 games during the decade. Nash was the first captain in team history but was traded in 2012. Artemi Panarin had an explosive two years before signing with the New York Rangers. Players like Jack Johnson, Boone Jenner and Alexander Wennberg were also key pieces during the decade.
