With their second round pick in 2015, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected left winger Paul Bittner from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. Bittner must have caught the attention of the Jackets due to his linemate - 2013 3rd Round Pick Oliver BJORKSTRAND. While BJORKSTRAND put up an eye-popping 63/55/118 line in 59 games in 2014-15, on the opposite side Bittner put up gaudy numbers of his own, with a 34/37/71 line in 66 games.
With BJORKSTRAND leaving for Cleveland, it was on Bittner to prove that he could replicate that production with new linemates. He maintained that same pace with 21 points in 25 games before his season was cut short by a hip injury in December.