The Columbus Blue Jackets face their first divisional opponent on Thursday when they host the New York Islanders. Let’s take a look at what’s new with this team since we last saw them in 2019-20.
A new home
What may be the most important change for this franchise is the long-awaited opening of their brand new home, UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. Nassau Coliseum had its charms, but was woefully outdated for decades. A brief residency at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn was mercifully cut short. That arena was not built to accommodate hockey, and the hipsters didn’t embrace the secondary tenants as ownership may have hoped.