Fansided

Luckiest jerseys in the NHL’s long and storied history

By Bruin Belisle

DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 9: Ray Bourque #77 of the Colorado Avalanche lifts the cup with Joe Sakic #19 after the Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-1 in game seven of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche take the series 4-3. (Photo by B Bennett/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 9: Ray Bourque #77 of the Colorado Avalanche lifts the cup with Joe Sakic #19 after the Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-1 in game seven of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche take the series 4-3. (Photo by B Bennett/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBUS, OH – JANUARY 18: Artemi Panarin #9 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates against the Montreal Canadiens on January 18, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images) /

30. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets aren’t exactly riddled with a long, exciting history. The team has only made the playoffs four times and never got past the second round. The luckiest thing that’s happened to them as a franchise was drafting recently retired player, Rick Nash.

The Blue Jackets are stuck in a “little brother” situation in the Metropolitan Division. They’ve been chasing Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby since the two entered the league in 2004 and 2005 respectively. The Jackets were still relatively new at the time (the team began in Columbus in 2000-01). They didn’t have the same rules as the Golden Knights and were entering the league alongside the Minnesota Wild.

The luck for this team came when they drafted Rick Nash in 2002. Nash was picked second overall, behind only stud defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. Nash became the first franchise player in Columbus. He went on to total 805 points in the NHL, most of which came in his nine seasons in Columbus.

Columbus will need a bit of luck to keep their current star player, “the breadman” Artemi Panarin. Panarin has been a trade rumor multiple times over the past year. The team would obviously love to keep him, but whether or not he would stay in free agency was another conversation. After John Tavares left the New York Islanders, teams were suddenly put on notice. Would this happen to them? What would the draw to Columbus be?

Perhaps they won’t need luck, just vodka. Along with what’s sure to be a big contract, Panarin was offered free vodka for life from local distillers at High Bank Distillery. Maybe the breadman can use his free vodka to pull in a few more players and get this Blue Jackets team over the hump.

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