- Erik Gudbranson says the Blue Jackets are “very focused” on ending a six-year playoff drought
- Columbus held a wild-card spot into April before a late collapse and a Rick Bowness culture blast
- Read below for what Gudbranson said about the offseason noise around Columbus
The Columbus Blue Jackets made headlines all offseason, and most of them had nothing to do with actual hockey.
Erik Gudbranson wants to change the subject. Asked about the drama that followed Columbus around all summer, the veteran defenseman said the only conversation that counts is the one happening inside the locker room. “Inside the room, we are very focused on what we need to accomplish this year,” Gudbranson told NHL.com at the Smilezone Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament on Monday.
That goal is the one thing missing from Columbus for a while now. The Blue Jackets have not reached the playoffs in six straight seasons.
Last year stung the most. Columbus held a wild-card spot as late as April 1 before a 2-8-1 slide over the final 11 games left them seven points short.
The wait for another shot is almost over:
Columbus rolled out its 2026-27 schedule last week, and Gudbranson made it clear the room is treating this season as a reckoning rather than a reset.
A lot of that fire traces back to the coach. After the finale, Rick Bowness ripped his players and said losing simply did not bother them, comments we broke down right here. Bowness was re-hired two days later, and Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski is back after his name floated in summer trade talk.
Gudbranson did not run from the coach’s words. “It was definitely harsh,” he said. “We got ourselves back into a really good position and we were very proud of that and then we missed and it hurt. It lit a fire under our (butts) to be honest with you.”
The additions kept coming, too:
Danton Heinen re-signed on a one-year deal Wednesday, one more depth piece for a team that believes it is closer than the standings showed.
Six years of watching the postseason from home is a long time in Columbus. Gudbranson says this group is finally done accepting it.
