Gaudreau: 'I wouldn't change my decision' to join Jackets despite poor start

After the Columbus Blue Jackets landed Johnny Gaudreau - last summer's biggest free agent - the chatter in Ohio got exponentially louder.

It's safe to say the team has fallen short of those rising expectations so far this season. A litany of injuries certainly hasn't helped the Jackets' situation, but Columbus has limped to a 4-9-1 start, the second-worst record in the league.

Despite facing some early adversity, Gaudreau has remained confident in his surprising decision to ink a seven-year, $68.25-million pact with the Blue Jackets in July.

"I love the city here in Columbus. I love the team here. I'm really excited to be here," Gaudreau told ESPN's Emily Kaplan in a recent interview. "Even if it wasn't the start we wanted, I wouldn't change my decision for the world."

He continued, "I'm here for the long run. I obviously want to make the playoffs this year, but if it doesn't happen yet, you have to learn from those things. I'm not putting it past our team to get out of this funk, but I also know whatever happens, we have a lot to look forward to."

The Blue Jackets' pursuit of the postseason got more difficult, with top defenseman Zach Werenski expected to miss the remainder of the campaign with a separated shoulder and torn labrum.

To make matters worse, Gaudreau's star linemate Patrik Laine has a sprained ankle and is already on the shelf for the second time this season. Also on the sidelines are Jakub Voracek, Justin Danforth, Nick Blankenburg, and Adam Boqvist.

Columbus boasts the NHL's second-worst goal differential (minus-23) and a futile power play that has mustered just three goals on the man advantage.

Gaudreau said he's been drawing on Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen's preseason message throughout his side's early struggles.

"He told me, 'I want you to do the same exact thing you did in Calgary, be the same player. Remember, you're just one player. You can't carry a team by yourself,'" the star winger said.

Gaudreau, 29, tied for second in the Art Ross Trophy race after logging a career-high 115 points in 82 contests with the Calgary Flames last season. He currently leads the Blue Jackets with six goals and six assists in 14 games.

The Blue Jackets were 19 points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference last season and haven't made the playoffs since the 2020 postseason bubble when they were taken out by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.