The Columbus Blue Jackets made six picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, including Jackson Smith at No. 14, earning a solid grade.

Don Waddell, in his second season as the Blue Jackets’ president/general manager, still hopes to sign or acquire a top-four defenseman and top-six forward as the NHL’s window for free agency ...

The Russian forward was the 114th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft by Columbus and would make his NHL debut in 2023-24. That year, he would play in 75 games, scoring 18 times and adding 16 assists.

Regardless, the margin between Columbus and the Montreal Canadiens was too big. The upstart Blue Jackets, the NHL’s most improved team with a 23-point gain in the standings from 2023-24 ...

The Blue Jackets, coming off a surprising 2024-25 season, did little to nothing to add to the wow factor for 2025-26. The NHL draft and the start of the free-agent signing season came and went.