Looking ahead for the Blue Jackets: One last push for Panarin, Bobrovsky, Duchene

As each NHL team is eliminated from the postseason, we'll take a look at why its quest for the Stanley Cup fell short in 2018-19, three keys to its offseason, and impact prospects for 2019-20, concluding by offering a way-too-early prediction for what next season will hold.

What went wrong

Did the Columbus Blue Jackets create a new NHL trend this season? Will we be using saying a team "pulled a Columbus" to describe GMs who decide to go all-in, hoarding their own rentals at the deadline in order to make one splashy run? It sure could happen.

It was mostly effective for the Blue Jackets, who went further than they ever had in franchise history, winning a stunning first-round series against a historically good Tampa Bay Lightning team. Ultimately, though, the Blue Jackets didn't have enough potency to get past the Boston Bruins in the second round.

Columbus stifled Boston early in the series by clogging lanes and blocking shots -- hallmarks of a John Tortorella-coached team in the playoffs. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was as locked-in as he's ever been in the playoffs, rewriting his own narrative. But as the second-round series wore on, the Bruins' dynamic top line woke up and became a force that the Blue Jackets were unable to contain. Columbus took too many penalties, which slowed the Blue Jackets' momentum, and they got quality chances, but weren't able to capture their scoring touch.

It was an unceremonious, if appropriate, end to the Blue Jacket tenures of Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin, two of the most exciting players in franchise history (unless there's a change of heart and one or both return). And it will lead to some major roster reconstruction this summer.

Keys to the offseason

Make one last push for Panarin and Bobrovsky, or find their replacements. OK, let's face it: Panarin is as good as gone. He's expressed his interest in testing the free-agent market, and he's earned the right to exercise that. We'll likely see him end up with one of the two front-runners for his services: the Florida Panthers or New York Rangers. If Panarin leaves, the Columbus front office will aggressively pursue some of the bigger-name forwards on the free-agent market.

The Blue Jackets' front office holds on to a sliver of hope that they might be able to keep Bobrovsky. Remember, Bobrovsky wanted to stay with the organization long-term, but the two sides were way too far apart on price and term, and that's what broke down the earlier negotiations. Bobrovsky's excellent postseason work probably upped his value on the free-agent market, but when the dust settles after the season, perhaps we'll see a change of heart on both sides. More than likely: Bobrovsky leaves, and Joonas Korpisalo gets the chance to be the new No. 1 goaltender.

Will Matt Duchene stick around? Duchene's future will be a fascinating storyline to follow. After unpleasant exits from his first two teams, the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators, Duchene is looking for a more permanent NHL home. He seemed to mesh well with the Blue Jackets and thrive under their system, but does he want to be in Columbus long-term? (The team would gladly welcome him if he did.)

The other rental acquisition from Ottawa, Ryan Dzingel, also presents an interesting case. Because he went to college in Columbus at Ohio State, there are assumptions that he would like to stay. And though he was a hot name when the Blue Jackets initially acquired him, he fell out of favor with the coaching staff a bit in the second round, seeing diminishing ice time, including a healthy scratch. He'll likely get feelers from the free-agent market before making a decision.

Torts and Kekalainen. Jarmo Kekalainen was mortgaging not only the team's future, but his own, when he made the dramatic moves that he did around the trade deadline. It's now up to management to decide whether getting past the first round was good enough, or if they need to go in a different direction. The GM will probably decide the fate of the coach. At times -- especially immediately following the trade deadline -- it felt as if Tortorella's methods were growing old on the players and he could no longer connect with them as he once could. That narrative flipped in the playoffs, specifically in the spectacular first round, when the team very much adhered to Tortorella's message.

Our best guess is that both men stick around, though the Blue Jackets might have some front-office shuffling to do as president of hockey operations John Davidson is the favorite for the vacant New York Rangers gig.

Impact prospects for 2019-20

Alexandre Texier, C/W, age 19: Blue Jackets fans have already gotten a taste of what Texier is capable of, as he managed to work his way into a solid role with the team for its playoff run. This came after a truly excellent season for KalPa in Finland's top pro league, where he had 41 points in 55 games; Texier was the second-highest scorer among under-20 players in Liiga. Then he came right onto the Cleveland Monsters' roster and put up seven points in seven AHL games, managing the transition to North American pro hockey about as flawlessly as you'll see. Texier is skilled and has high-end hockey sense, which make him a near lock for everyday duty right away next season.

Emil Bemstrom, RW, age 19: A fourth-round pick two years ago, Bemstrom has vaulted himself into a higher tier of prospects after driving Djurgardens to the SHL championship series. Though the team ultimately lost, Bemstrom had 10 points in 19 playoff games. Given the turnover that the Blue Jackets' roster is expected to go through this offseason, he'll have a chance to earn a spot next season. Bemstrom had 23 goals this season, tied for third-most by an under-20 player in SHL history. One of the guys he's tied with on that list is Peter Forsberg, and only Elias Pettersson and Kent Nilsson had more goals as under-20 players. The Blue Jackets still haven't signed Bemstrom, but that appears to be merely a formality at this point, as the young sniper's season just ended. He's not at the same level as Pettersson was last year, but given Bemstrom's profound success at finding the back of the net, he deserves a chance to make his case in NHL camp next fall.

Elvis Merzlikins, G, age 25: The questions surrounding what the Blue Jackets do in net amid the expected departure of Sergei Bobrovsky put Merzlikins in the mix to earn an NHL roster spot. The Jackets have a few options in their system, including current backup Joonas Korpisalo, and perhaps would even consider pursuing a short-term option in free agency. Given the instability of that situation, a player like Merzlikins could end up on the everyday roster. He's been an absolute stud for Latvia at the World Championships over the years, and has been one of the top goalies in the Swiss National League A as well. He's quick, he's big and he seems to thrive in situations where he sees a ton of shots. Depending on what happens this summer, he could end up being an option as the season progresses.

Realistic expectation for 2019-20

It feels near impossible to say because so much of what the Blue Jackets will look like in 2019-20 is in flux. More than likely, they're going to have to take a step back after losing Bobrovsky, Panarin and potentially others in free agency. There's a strong enough core to endure given the young talent on the roster and in the system, but we could be looking at a fringe playoff team.