Jackets might be better, but division stacked

Tuesday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning will raise another banner to the rafters at Amalie Arena, and the puck will drop on the 2021-22 NHL season with a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It's that time of year, a time of clean sheets and fresh starts. Here we go.

The Blue Jackets' 20th season didn't quite have the celebratory air of an anniversary year, not with the Pierre-luc Dubois mess, the rapid denouement of the John Tortorella era and the gutting of the roster. In what was a pandemicinfected and shortened season of rejiggered divisions, the Jackets finished in last place in the ersatz Central Division.

The Jackets open their 21st season —

ERIC HARTLINE/USA TODAY SPORTS Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, right, and Evgeni Malkin return at ages 34 and 35, respectively.