2012 Projections: Columbus

The Columbus Blue Jackets are a curious team heading into the 2012 season.  They've made a number of additions, trying to increase their level of competitiveness and on paper, they looked to have done really well, but like on many occasions, what you have on paper doesn't necessarily translates well on the ice.

The Jackets were able to add a top three forward, a top pairing defenseman and some more veterans to a system that is growing some very good youth talent, so you can definitely argue that this organization is definitely going in the right direction.

One of the drawbacks of putting eggs in the basket of a newly drawn out team is the uncertainty principles of team chemistry, line-up changes and the adaptability of the coaching style for all the players involved.  Having some great offensive talent in a defensive system may not work quite as well, so having some hesitation in Columbus is only natural.

Forwards		Defense		Goalies
Rick Nash	80	James Wisniewski	45	Steve Mason	65
Jeff Carter	70	Kris Russell	30
R.J. Umberger	65	Grant Clitsome	25
Vaclav Prospal	55	Fedor Tyutin	20
Derrick Brassard	50	Radek Martinek	20
Antoine Vermette	45	Marc Methot	10
Derek MacKenzie	35
Matt Calvert	35
Kristian Huselius	25
Sami Pahlsson	20
Derek Dorsett	15
Jared Boll	5
Ryan Johansen	45	John Moore	25	Mark Dekanich	20
				Curtis Sanford	10

Pool Worthy Forwards (Inside the top 160, 35 points)
The Blue Jackets have plenty of potential for picking up points with the acquisition of Jeff Carter from the Flyers in the off-season, giving their captain and franchise player, Rick Nash, someone to work with offensively.  Nash and Carter have both scored 40 or more goals in a season in their career and being paired together, they should be able to feed off of each other and make for some exciting hockey in the offensive end.

The Jackets also acquired veteran forward Vaclav Prospal in the off-season, who is a natural playmaker and someone who might see some time along the team's top two forwards or be used to help generate some more offense on the second line with some of the team's younger talent who are poised for some top six minutes.

I think with the acquisition of Carter, there will be some pressure taken off centre Antoine Vermette this year, as he won't be relied upon to be a true top six centre, going back into, what looked to be, a more comfortable role as a checking centre with transitional offense capabilities.  He might not have the same minutes as a top six centre, but he will be more effective in the minutes he gets.

Pool Worthy Defensemen (Inside the top 80, 20 points)
The Jackets commitment to getting better was never more evident than the signing of unrestricted free agent defenseman James Wisniewski in the off-season.  Wisniewski had an excellent year between Long Island and Montreal, bringing his name back to the forefront.  The biggest reason why I like Wisniewski to duplicate his good year in Columbus is how he played on the island, as he was a force with little help.  He should be a good one for the Jackets this year.

With proper guidance, this could finally be a good year for Kris Russell, who has struggled to find his feet with the Jackets, but he really hasn't been too far off.  With an added offensive punch up front, I think this is what Russell will need to help his numbers grow, someone to actually make that first pass out to.  This could be his year.

Pool Worthy Goalies (Inside the top 40, 25 points)
We're all still waiting for the Calder Trophy winning Steve Mason to reappear in the net for the Blue Jackets, especially the team itself.  With the right tools in place up front, it may be more a matter of his confidence than anything else, since his skill level is still quite high.  Also, without a back-up set in stone at the moment, you would have to assume that Mason will now become a real workhorse for the club, thus having the opportunity to win more games.  I want to have his points up quite high, but guarantees are hard to come by right now.

Pool Worthy Rookies
The hype machine is giving Ryan Johansen a good push this off-season and I think he's worthy of that attention.  Johansen is a big-bodied forward with very good hands, which were on display at the World Junior tournament, who should be bringing some more youthful exuberance to the line-up.  I think Johansen will be in the Calder race this year.

Unsigned Players
None

Key Injuries
A torn pectoral muscle during his off-season routine will now sideline Kristian Huselius until the New Year.  With the additions that have been made to the team in the off-season, I don't think the Jackets will miss him terribly, rather he'll be a solid bonus when he returns to health and ready to compete again.