BT's 2009/10 NHL Season Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets

(Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

Yesterday, during the Nashville Predators preview, Kanye West had a second driving urge to interupt.

And I really don't have a problem with this—except for the fact that Beyonce's video was no where near the best ever.

In fact, because it was simply her dancing for three-and-a-half minutes, it made the song more annoying. Maybe I'm just bitter.

Columbus Blue Jackets

2008/09 Record: 41-31-10, 95 points, seventh in West—swept in first round of playoffs by Detroit.

Additions: Mathieu Garon—G (2 years/$2.4 mil), Samuel Pahlsson—F (3 years/$7.95 mil).

Subtractions: Jason Williams—F (FA), Ole-Kristian Tollefsen—D (FA), Aaron Rome—D (FA), Mike York—F (FA), Michael Peca—F (FA), Manny Malhotra—F (FA), Wade Dubielewicz.

Last year, the Columbus Blue Jackets took a step forward.

You can classify it as a big step forward because it was their first-ever playoff appearance, but the sweep at the hands of Detroit also takes a few inches off of that stride.

Then again, anyone going up against the Red Wings is going to have a tough time.

After all, it did take the Pittsburgh Penguins two tries to beat them, so maybe the Jackets have some hope this season.

Stevie Wonder and His Care of the Crease

You know you’re good when mono can’t even stop you.

Midway through a spectacular rookie season that saw Mason net the Calder trophy, he missed three games due to the “kissing disease.”

Unfortunately, we can’t blame that on him kissing the trophy, but maybe Sean Avery has some diseased “sloppy seconds” he’s still passing along.

Lame Avery jokes aside, the Jackets have something special in Mason. A 30-win goaltender with sparkling statistics, Mason has a bright future in a market that’s traditionally had trouble finding a starting goalie.

This year will be very telling with regard to his mental makeup, however.

Not one to take a night off, Mason is always hungry to prove himself and nowhere are expectations higher than the sophomore season for any player—let alone a goalie.

Fortunately for Mason, there will be no revolving door behind him this year.

In the 2008-'09 season, four goalies saw action behind Mason in a combined 26 games.

This year, that duty will hopefully fall solely to Mathieu Garon.

After a quality 2007-'08 campaign in Edmonton, Garon came into last season hoping that he could hold on to the starter’s role. After suffering through a bout of ineffectiveness to begin the season, not only did Garon lose his role, but he was eventually traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins where he sat shotgun on the way to a Stanley Cup championship.

If the Jackets are going to be successful on days that Mason doesn’t start, Garon is not only going to have to prove that he can be the same 30-win goalie from L.A. (2005-'06), but that he can also keep that mentality when not playing every day.

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