Kristian Huselius: The Columbus Blue Jackets' Next Nikolai Zherdev

The Columbus Blue Jackets have rid themselves of the inconsistent play of Nikolai Zherdev. They have also added talented winger Kristian Huselius to help put up points Zherdev was expected to produce. The big question is: Can Kristian Huselius be that player?

Kristian Huselius is a talented hockey player. Drafted by Florida in the second round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, there was a lot of hope that Huselius could be the player to help bring the Panthers back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Huselius shined in his younger days, but took a little time to adjust to playing with men. In his first four years of pro hockey in Sweden, Huselius only scored 10 goals. It was his fifth year that he finally broke out with 21 goals and 23 assists in 50 games with Västra Frölunda in Sweden.

When he finally made the jump to North America, Huselius didn't disappoint. In his rookie season with Florida, Huselius scored 23 goals and 22 assists. His sophomore season was similar with 20 goals and 23 assists.

After that, Huselius was up and down with his scoring. His 10 goals and 31 points were a let down in '03-04. Though he did have a solid lockout season playing in Linkoping in Sweden (49 points in 34 games), his return to the NHL was not very positive. Eight points in 24 games wasn't enough for former Panthers coach and current Calgary Flames coach Mike Keenan, who traded Huselius for defenseman Steve Montador.

The trade worked well for Huselius, as he got a chance to play on the top two lines and put up some decent points. The 2006-07 season was marked career bests in goals (34), assists (43), and points (77). Huselius started slow, but after being a healthy scratch early on, his play increased exponentially. His only knock was his lack of presence in the playoffs.

This past season for the Flames saw Huselius pick up where he left off. He was in the top five of scoring in goals and points through the first nine games, scoring six goals and 10 points.

Huselius had a stellar December with of a pair five-point nights only two games apart. With 20 points in 14 games in the month of December, and 49 points at the All-Star break, it was a complete surprise to see Huselius not on the Western Conference All-Star Team. It's rumored the snub is what caused his downslide in the second half of the season.

The word downslide is such an understatement. Only the Ottawa Senators are guilty of a worse backslide. Huselius finished off the season with a mere 17 points in the final 31 games of the season. Only one goal came against a playoff team (Washington). None of the goals came against a team fighting for a playoff spot with the Flames.

Again, in the playoffs Huselius' play was lacklustre, and he became a liability in the defensive zone.

It was very clear after the Flames were knocked out of the playoffs by the San Jose Sharks that Huselius' time in Calgary was over.

Kristian Huselius is a very talented hockey player who can score whenever he wants when his confidence is high. It's been said by his teammates that he could stick-handle his way out of a phone booth if needed.

His weaknesses are his ego and his self-esteem. If the Blue Jackets can keep him happy, and playing with someone he can score with, Huselius will be the perfect fit. If the chemistry isn't there, and he isn't coddled, his performance will drop off significantly.

For his sake I hope it's the perfect fit. At least he is in a city that isn't as hard on slumping players.

The contract Huselius signed with Columbus was deserved, for the points he scored in '06-07 and the beginning of '07-08. His points and talent will be missed in Calgary, but his inconsistency and lack of desire won't be.

All the Best to you, Kristian!