Does Duchene and Dzingel make the Blue Jackets Stanley Cup contenders?

The Columbus Blue Jackets made a huge splashes by trading for both Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, but do the trades actually make them legitimate contenders for the Stanley Cup?

It’s been a roller coaster of emotion for the Columbus Blue Jackets all season long, and most of it centered around this years trade deadline. The trade deadline itself was focused on what the Blue Jackets planned to do with their two star players on expiring contracts, Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky.

It was revealed in the off-season that Panarin was not interested in signing an extension with the team, and the possibility emerged that they could lose him for nothing. Later on in the season, it became more and more apparent that Bobrovsky was unhappy with the team, and reportedly turned down multiple extension offers.

Would Columbus trade them both and build a stronger team in the future, or hold on to them both and go all in for a shot at their first Stanley Cup? It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that the future of the Blue Jackets hinges on the decisions made by the deadline.

As of Friday afternoon, Columbus has apparently made their decision. They made a blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators for Matt Duchene, sending two prospects, a first-round draft pick, and another conditional first-round pick if Duchene re-signs with the team. Then Saturday night, they pushed all their chips to the table by making another deal with the Senators, this time for Ryan Dzingel. In exchange for Dzingel and a 7th-round pick, Columbus paid a hefty price, sending Ottawa two second round picks (2020 and 2021) and Anthony Duclair.

With the Duchene and Dzingel trades done, it can be assumed the Blue Jackets are keeping both Panarin and Bobrovsky and going all-in this season for a shot at the Stanley Cup. But does Duchene make the Blue Jackets true Stanley Cup contenders?

The Blue Jackets have yet to win a playoff series in their 17-year history, managing just five total playoff wins in that span. They are also the only team left in the NHL without a playoff series win with Vegas and Winnipeg winning multiple playoff series last season. Last year, they tried to load up on smaller pieces like Thomas Vanek, Ian Cole, and Mark Letestu for a playoff run, but saw that strategy fail as they blew a 2-0 lead in the first round and lost in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. This time, they’re taking no chances. If they lose, they’re losing to a great hand.

Duchene, at age 28, is in the midst of a career year with 28 goals and 31 assists, including a goal in his second game with Columbus. After two years of being a member of some of the worst teams in the NHL, Duchene finally lands on a team with a great chance of playing playoff hockey like he’s wanted. Despite 228 regular season games, Duchene has only played in eight in the postseason.

Columbus seemed to be a natural fit once Duchene was put on the market, as he gives the Blue Jackets the top-line center that they need to take some of the pressure off of 20-year-old Pierre Luc-Dubois, and gives them an outstanding amount of team depth to roll out four effective lines on offense. Duchene has for now slotted in on the first line centering Panarin and Cam Atkinson, which could develop into a top-producing line in the league if it ends up clicking.

Ryan Dzingel is also having a career year with 22 goals and 22 assists in 57 games, allowing the Senators to fetch the high price given to them by the Blue Jackets. His speed and versatility have made him a coveted asset in this year’s trade deadline, and he’ll be a seamless addition in the Blue Jackets’ depth as they continue to load up.

The addition of Dzingel gives Columbus six 20-goal scorers on the roster, and he’ll be expected to slot into the top six, as part of the second line on the wing of Dubois and Josh Anderson.

Now, do these trades make Columbus serious contenders for the Stanley Cup? The short answer is, yes, they do. Adding Duchene and Dzingel adds 40 goals and 103 total points to the team, pushing their already solid offense to another level. Keeping Panarin and Bobrovsky and loading up like this makes them a serious threat once the postseason rolls around.

However, they are not the top contender for the Stanley Cup. The moves don’t put them above the powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning to come out of the Eastern Conference, but no move they could make would.

On paper, Columbus looks like at least a favorite to come out of the Metropolitan division, given how wide open it is with the struggles of the Pittsburgh Penguins, inconsistency of the Capitals, and lack of experience from the New York Islanders. With a win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night, the Blue Jackets are in third in the division, two points behind the Capitals and one point in front of the Hurricanes.

The bare minimum that the Blue Jackets absolutely need to do is win a playoff round. If they go all in like this and still cant shed the label as the league’s biggest failure, the franchise very well might not recover, both from the assets they lost and the embarrassment of being a laughing stock. According to SportsClubStats, the Blue Jackets have a 25 percent chance to face the Capitals once again in the first round of the playoffs, giving them a chance to either avenge last year’s defeat, or prove their futility.

Regardless of whether the Blue Jackets win the Stanley Cup or not, it’s hard to find fault in what Jarmo Kekalainen is trying to do. Sometimes a team just has to swing for the fences and go for it. Either he hits out of the park and delivers Columbus a Stanley Cup, or he strikes out and the Blue Jackets are left with misery and years of mediocrity as a result. Either way, only time will tell.