This week marked the start of a new NHL season, and for fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Thursday’s season opener at Buffalo couldn’t come soon enough.  The Blue Jackets are coming off their best season in franchise history, where they made the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time and made Pittsburgh work to advance in six games. But some will remember that after Columbus’ first playoff appearance in 2009, the Blue Jackets endured a last-place finish in the Central Division the following year. So can Columbus prove that last season was no fluke?

The Blue Jackets’ forward line will have to get through the first part of the season without several key players. Alternate captain Brandon Dubinsky became the latest addition to the injured reserve list on Tuesday, joining Boone Jenner, Nathan Horton, and defenseman Ryan Murray, among others. On the bright side, Ryan Johansen signed a new three-year contract with the team after a summer of uncertainty; he, new acquisition Scott Hartnell, and 2013 draft pick Alexander Wennberg all had an assist Thursday night.

On defense, the Jackets bring back a wealth of veterans, including Jack Johnson, Fedor Tyutin, and James Wisniewski. Dalton Prout and David Savard are primed to have good seasons, while fans won’t worry much about the goaltender position. Sergei Bobrovsky is back after going 32-20-5 a year ago, and Curtis McIlhenny has proven his capability as a backup when the Russian is unavailable. With the absentees on offense, Columbus’ defense could likely determine how the first months, and maybe the season in general, go for the team.

The Blue Jackets had a remarkable 7-1 preseason, and got off to a winning start Thursday at Buffalo. Two ESPN hockey analysts have Columbus in the Eastern Conference Final, so can the club meet that goal in 2015? For hockey fans in central Ohio, the long summer is finally over.