For the last 22 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 23^rd annual review will appear here on Dobber Hockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are taken into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

** Be sure to pick up your copy of the 2025-2026 Fantasy Hockey Guide **

Gone: Sean Kuraly, James van Riemsdyk, Daniil Tarasov, Justin Danforth, Kevin Labanc

Incoming: Charlie Coyle, Miles Wood, Isac Lundestrom

Impact of Changes: Aside from the depth bottom-six veteran presence that Coyle and Wood provide, things are pretty much status quo for the Blue Jackets in terms of offseason moves – and that's likely a good thing. This is one of the most talented prospect pools in the entire league, with the big club's roster also teeming with young head-turning players up-and-down the lineup. Simply put: Columbus is a team on the rise. With the top-two center spots clearly locked down by Sean Monahan and Adam Fantilli, Coyle will serve as the third-line pivot who can be counted on as a 40-45-point man that could be a stream option at times during the season if Fantilli or Monahan go down with injury.

Meaning, this team's overall output really won't be impacted by these additions, and the same can be said for the names who exited Cannon Country in Kuraly, van Riemsdyk, Tarasov, and other peripheral pieces. With the Jackets being one of the quieter teams in the offseason in terms of adding and subtracting players, the pressure for the upcoming year lands on a number of really good second- and third-year players we will discuss below. Unless it’s to fill a hole for a week or two or perhaps take advantage of some good stretches of Columbus' schedule, none of these additions should be looked at for any kind of reliable fantasy production.

Ready For Full Time: All bad aviation puns aside, Jet Greaves' fantasy value is cleared for takeoff. Even with the Jackets' relatively top-heavy makeup and a blue line that allowed the fifth-most shots against per game (29.9) and the seventh-most goals against (267) last season, Greaves enters the upcoming campaign as a fantasy goaltender that could make for the perfect late-round steal.

The undrafted netminder was lights out over his last two seasons in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters and his brief stint to round out last year with the Jackets was nothing short of sensational, as the unheralded Greaves went 5-1 over his final six starts while racking up two shutouts and a crooked .975 save percentage. Perhaps the most attractive angle with this goaltender is he should get at least 50 percent of the starts with yet another mediocre season from Elvis Merzlikins. Quality goalies are hard to come in the fantasy game, so having a few under-the-radar pieces in your back pocket could be a worthwhile endeavor to pursue come draft season.

Fantasy Outlook: There is so much to like about this team but it's important to remember that just because a lineup is loaded with intriguing talent doesn't always immediately translate into success in the standings. However, there's no denying that Columbus is quietly morphing into a fantasy hockey goldmine. From the tantalizing trio of young rising Russians in Yegor Chinakhov, Dmitri Voronkov, and sniper Kirill Marchenko to elite former first-round picks in Kent Johnson, Denton Mateychuk, and Adam Fantilli to quality fantasy veterans like Boone Jenner, Sean Monahan, and Ivan Provorov there are no shortage of reliable options to choose from across the Blue Jackets' board. There is also, of course, blue-line fantasy juggernaut Zach Werenski who is coming off a career beastmode-type season which saw him rack up 82 points, 131 blocked shots, and an eye-popping 298 shots on goal. He will be a top-five rearguard off the board over the coming weeks.

Separating what Columbus offers in terms of draftable options from the group's ability to compete in an increasingly dangerous Eastern Conference is really how this team should be analyzed. Werenski, Marchenko, and Fantilli are all arguably top-100 fantasy players that should be the trio that are targeted first when looking to draft Blue Jackets. Get 'em before this team pops off and establishes itself as a legitimate playoff contender and the price on these names goes through the roof. 

Overall Grade: B+ (Last season: C)