Columbus Blue Jackets Find Replacement for Injured Winger, Sign Vinny Prospal

Last week, the Columbus Blue Jackets hit their first bump in the road in their path back to the playoffs when winger Kristian Huselius suffered a torn pectoral muscle.

Huselius required surgery and will be out of the lineup until November at the earliest, most likely January.

The Jackets had big plans for Huselius as he was supposed to play alongside Rick Nash and newly acquired Jeff Carter on the team's first line, but the team needed to find a temporary replacement once news of his injury surfaced.

General manager Scott Howson told reporters that his plan was to find the replacement through free agency even though the list of remaining free agents was small and rumors had emerged that the team was interested in trading for Edmonton Oilers winger Ales Hemsky.

However, the team found their answer via free agency yesterday with the signing of Vinny Prospal, according to the team's website.

When the team said they wanted a temporary solution, they were not kidding around, signing the 36-year old to just a one-year contract.

“Vinny Prospal is a proven top six forward in the National Hockey League and we look forward to him playing that role for our hockey club,” said Howson.

“We are very pleased to be able to add a player of his caliber to our team at this late date in the free agency process.”

Prospal played 13 seasons in the NHL with six different teams; Philadelphia, Ottawa, Florida, Tampa Bay, Anaheim and his latest team, the New York Rangers.

In 978 career games, the Czech Republic native registered 227 goals and 453 assists. Last season with the Rangers, Prospal only finished with nine goals and 14 assists in 29 games. Prospal suffered a right knee injury which required surgery.  

Just like the Jackets' other additions in Carter and defenseman James Wisniewski, Prospal brings playoff experience to the team, something the Blue Jackets lack. Of his 13 seasons, Prospal appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs nine times, registering 10 goals and 25 assists in 65 games.

Prospal was rumored to be the leading candidate to replace Kristian Huselius in a small group of remaining free agents.

According to Andy Newman over at Jackets Cannon, Prospal could be in for a big year if he is able to remain healthy:

"He can be a streaky player, similar to Huselius, but if you look at his point history, Prospal's streakiness applies to entire seasons. Based on that history, he's due to have a solid year this season, and the team likely hopes for a good 50+ point season."

"As long as he remains healthy, that shouldn't be difficult, since he'll likely start out playing on a line with Rick Nash and Jeff Carter."

Prospal is a good addition to the Blue Jackets and will still help the Jackets push for the playoffs, even after Huselius returns from surgery.