When you’re a fan of a horrible team, the only thing that gets you through the season is the hope of getting the first overall pick in next year’s draft. The Columbus Blue Jackets are woefully bad, but they were in a prime position to be the worst team in the NHL. That would put Columbus in line to possibly get 17-year-old phenom, Connor Bedard.
The thing is…the Blue Jackets may have screwed that up. In their next to last game of the season, Columbus won in overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the two points, Columbus moved from the basement to go ahead of the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks.
That floored Blue Jackets fans, who were angry that their team won. That sounds completely backwards, but with the chance of obtaining a potential generational talent, fans are willing to handle a few losses if it means a much brighter future.
the worst fulfilled promise in sports history https://t.co/Uc5d1d8NKu pic.twitter.com/ZJWF1iD2V4
— logan (@IBSLivesMatters) April 14, 2023
A JOKE to be boasting about this win. Can’t even lose right!!! https://t.co/0dBRoVSbzD
— Dave Downey
(@DaveDowneyWx) April 14, 2023
Absolute joke of an organization. Can’t even tank right. #CBJ https://t.co/bJbDWooOd3
— Alex Hoy
(@DatBoiHoy) April 14, 2023
Yay….more mediocrity. All we needed to do was lose twice to guarantee a star center in the draft and we just threw that away https://t.co/QHxaqhbjPg
— Sam Eichel (@SamEichel1) April 14, 2023
Absolutely chefs kiss that they actively were terrible to watch the entire season and then decide to play well the last two games and blow the number 1 pick….
This franchise is exhausting to root for at times https://t.co/9yP8cWKxk1
— Brian Stromberg (@strombergbt) April 14, 2023
I’m so tired of this team jackets will always be the 16th best team in the year every year and get beat in the first round year after year. Joke of a team. I’m done. https://t.co/F2RkJR6Rhs
— CBJ Truther (@SantaRig19) April 14, 2023
As the NHL uses a lottery system, it’s still not guaranteed that the worst team in the NHL gets the first overall pick. Although, the worst team will have a better chance of getting that pick.
Unfortunately for Columbus, the Blackhawks finished their season with an overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. That puts Chicago at 59 points, the same as the Blue Jackets. The problem for the Blue Jackets is that they still have one more game. And a win against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday may potentially move Columbus past the San Jose Sharks. If that happens, Blue Jackets fans will really go insane.