The Columbus Blue Jackets are at a crossroads, in a different kind of no man’s land.



Generally, being in no man’s land when it comes to the playoffs means a team that’s not good enough to make it, but not poor enough to be a lottery team. It’s a vicious cycle of mediocrity. For Columbus, the team is in the same boat on the other side of the line: too good to miss the playoffs, but likely not good enough to actually contend in them.



For most teams just making it would be fine. For Columbus, it’s time to actually win a round, but two pending free agents add a big wrinkle to that. It’s looking painfully clear that superstar winger Artemi Panarin and stud goalie Sergei Bobrovsky will be leaving the team at the end of this season, leaving the team with a difficult dilemma. Do they go for one last push with the current group, knowing they won’t likely be favoured to get through a weak Metropolitan division, nor pass the juggernauts...