Inside look at Columbus Blue Jackets

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Columbus Blue Jackets didn't take long to signal a new era following the end of the 2022-23 season.

Less than 12 hours after losing the finale to the Buffalo Sabres on April 14, second-year coach Brad Larsen was fired. Though it was soon rumored that Mike Babcock would replace him, it didn't become official until July 1.

In the interim, the Blue Jackets set the course to move past the 25-48-9 record (58 points) that had them 31st in the NHL, one point above the Anaheim Ducks.

Columbus traded for veteran defensemen Ivan Provorov, 26, from the Philadelphia Flyers on June 6 and Damon Severson, 29, from the New Jersey Devils on June 9.

The Blue Jackets allowed a franchise-record 330 goals (4.02 average), due in part to the 563 man-games lost that forced numerous reinforcements from Cleveland of the American Hockey League.

"We've been young and we've been going through some struggles in the last couple of years, and watching the growth of our young guys on defense in particular, we felt like we have to strengthen the top four of our defense to take the next step," Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. "I think all of those young defensemen are going to get a great opportunity to show that they're ready, and if they're not, we don't have to rush them now. We have a solid top four, top three in particular, here after these moves."

The Blue Jackets' next major acquisition was using the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft on 18-year-old Michigan center Adam Fantilli. He is projected for a spot among the top two lines this season.

Columbus, the second-youngest team in the NHL last season, has missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past three seasons, but defenseman Zach Werenski says the rebuild is over.

"As players, you don't want to go through it," he said. "You only have so many years in your career and obviously none of the fans, the management, no one, wants to go through this, so I think it's on us to speed it up."

Since Babcock's hiring, the Blue Jackets have been quiet on the personnel front, unlike last year when in a nine-day span beginning July 13 they signed free agent Johnny Gaudreau, gave a four-year contract to restricted free agent forward Patrik Laine and traded Oliver Bjorkstrand to the Seattle Kraken.

Columbus, in a way, transformed its roster this offseason without wading into free agency.

The Blue Jackets will regain Werenski, 26, who missed the final 69 games after sustaining a shoulder injury Nov. 10, 2022. Defenseman Jake Bean, 25, out since Oct. 28 (67 games) with a shoulder injury, and 30-year-old forward Justin Danforth, who missed the last 76 games since Oct. 23 with a torn labrum, will return.

Also, back is forward Alexandre Texier. The 23-year-old had 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 36 games before sustaining a fractured finger Jan. 26, 2022. He was granted a leave of absence in March 2022 and last season played for Zurich of the Swiss National League on the advice of the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program so he could be closer to his family in France after a series of personal tragedies. He has 49 points (22 goals, 27 assists) in 123 regular season games.

Columbus expects its deepening prospects pool to step up with the likes of 19-year-old defenseman Daivd Jiricek (No. 6, 2022 NHL Draft) and 22-year-old forward Dimitri Voronkov (No. 114, 2019 NHL Draft) contributing this season in the manner of forward Kirill Marchenko, 23, who played the first two months of last season with Cleveland before he had 25 points (21 goals, four assists) in 59 games for the Blue Jackets as a rookie.

Columbus sees the hiring of Babcock, the drafting of Fantilli and the maturation of its young players as transformational.

"We just haven't been good enough to make the playoffs the last couple of years and that obviously needs to change, and we'll do everything we can to make that happen," Laine said. "We've just got to find a way to win, and that's really all that matters here."