The Blue Jackets have been patient with this rebuild in ways that have tested the fanbase, and the results this season have been a mixed bag that lands somewhere between "encouraging signs" and "still not where we need to be." Kirill Marchenko has emerged as the most exciting offensive player on this roster and watching him develop chemistry with linemates has been one of the better storylines at Nationwide Arena this year. The Cole Sillinger story is interesting too - he's getting better, the question is the pace.

Elvis Merzlikins has had a season that's hard to fully evaluate. There are games where he's absolutely the reason Columbus picks up a point and games where you wonder if the situation in front of him is just too much to overcome. The blue line has been rebuilt through a combination of drafted players and smart additions and is showing promise, which matters a lot for the long-term plan.

Nationwide is a good building to watch hockey in and the fanbase has stuck with this team through some genuinely difficult years. Come to a home game now - ticket prices are reasonable and you get to watch a young roster finding its identity in real time, which is its own kind of compelling. Zach Werenski quarterbacking the power play, Marchenko finishing, Sillinger centering - there's a version of this team three years from now that works. Whether the current version shows flashes of it consistently is the thing we're watching for in every game.