In 2017-18, Sergei Bobrovsky put together the best goaltending season in the NHL. His Columbus Blue Jackets, powered by an impressive youth movement and the scoring talents of Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson, went 45-30-7 and tested the Washington Capitals constantly throughout a seven-game playoff series.

But we all know how it ended. Bobrovsky posted a mediocre .905 save percentage in that series, and the Caps snuck past what looked like a better team en route to their first-ever Stanley Cup title.

It’s a brutal memory, sure, but now let’s frame it differently: The Blue Jackets, who have under contract arguably the world’s best goaltender, might have been a handful of saves away from a deep playoff run. This year, if they retain Panarin and Bobrovsky for the duration of the season, that run could still occur.

After all, Zach Werenski and Seth Jones are respectively only 21 and 23 years old, and you could make the argument that they were the league’s best defensive pairing last year. Panarin has maintained a scoring rate of just under a point per game since he burst into the league three seasons ago, and he’s been among the NHL’s best play-driving wingers throughout his time in Columbus. Bobrovsky has delivered stellar performances in two consecutive outings; the two-time Vezina winner now inarguably ranks among the NHL’s best netminders. At the top end, this team seems to have the pieces to compete for a title this year.

The numbers from last year support this cursory assessment. The 2017-18 Blue Jackets posted a Corsi-For rate of 51.49 percent (ninth-best in the league) and a Shots-For rate of 52.61 percent (fifth-best) at five on five. Bobrovsky stopped 93.64 percent of the shots and 85.46 percent of the high-danger chances ceded by Columbus; both statistics placed him in the upper echelon of NHL goaltenders. Teams that can drive play will always be capable of making noise in the playoff conversation, but teams who can combine solid advanced stats with shooting threats and elite goaltending are bona fide championship contenders. The Blue Jackets, this season, seem likely to find themselves in the latter category.

After all, Columbus will return the core they had last season, and they also made improvements at depth positions throughout the summer. The additions of Riley Nash and Anthony Duclair turn a solid forward group into one of the deepest four-line setups in the league. On the back end, the Blue Jackets lost Ian Cole and Jack Johnson, but their subsequent promotion of Dean Kukan and Markus Nutivaara should actually leave this blue line in better shape than it was to start last season.

Finally, consider this – there are dozens of players around the league poised for a breakout season this year, but the best choice in the entire NHL might be the Jackets’ first-line center, Pierre-Luc Dubois.

When Columbus selected Dubois third overall in 2016, the pick was viewed as a slight reach, because Jesse Puljujarvi was the consensus choice at that position. But since the moment he became a Blue Jacket, Dubois has been every bit the blue chip prospect that Columbus thought he could become.

In his draft+1 season, Dubois scored 55 points in 47 QMJHL contests despite being traded midway through the season. The following year, in his NHL debut, Dubois amassed 20 goals and 48 points as he dressed for every regular-season game. He posted a Corsi-For percentage of 56.0 and a Relative-Corsi score of 6.0 percent as a 19-year-old playing hockey at the highest level for the very first time.

While these numbers were more than likely bolstered by the presence of Panarin on Dubois’s wing, he has nevertheless proven himself to be a capable first-line center in the NHL. With Panarin and either Atkinson or Oliver Bjorkstrand on his wing this season, and a full year of professional experience under his belt, PLD could blossom into a superstar.

But even if their x-factor suffers from a sophomore slump in 2018-19, the Blue Jackets will contend. They possess enough talent at every position to overcome most issues that might stand before them; even in an extremely tough Metropolitan Division, this should be a top-tier team.

The one concern that will haunt Columbus, at least until March, is the possibility that they trade one of their core pieces. Despite the fact that this year’s Blue Jackets look the part of a real contender, both Panarin and Bobrovsky have apparently expressed disinterest in remaining with the team beyond this season. As a result, trading one or both of these men could be the best decision for the team in the long term.

Quite frankly, those players are the two pieces that the Jackets can’t afford to be without. Panarin provides their top-six with a constant scoring threat and basically drives play at will, while Bobrovsky’s dominance was a huge component of their 2017 record. Without Bobrovsky, Columbus would need their top six to outmatch their opponents on a nightly basis in order to remain competitive. And without Panarin, that top six is totally unimpressive. Therefore, this team’s trajectory could legitimately change at any moment.

Still, as they’re constructed today, the Blue Jackets should be one of the best teams in the entire Eastern Conference. Last year, they were excellent; given the age of their core and the talent they boast in the goal crease, you can expect them to return in even more frightening form this October. While their path to the Cup final will have to go through some incredible teams in Pittsburgh, Toronto, Boston, and Tampa Bay, the Blue Jackets are a great dark horse pick in 2018-19.