Blue Jackets News: Call-Ups Shine as Columbus Slides

While the Columbus Blue Jackets have solidified their familiar status on the outside of the NHL playoff picture, two prospects are making cases for jobs on next year's squad.

Defensemen Aaron Rome and Clay Wilson have performed well late in the season after some key injuries to the Blue Jackets' defensive corps.

The pair came to Columbus from Anaheim in November in exchange for forward Geoff Platt. Rome saw two games of action with Anaheim last season, while Wilson had not made his NHL debut. This comes as no surprise, playing in a system that includes the likes of Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger.

Rome was called up in late February and has seen his ice time steadily increase, logging over 20 minutes in each of the Jackets' last four games.

Wilson got the call after injuries to Kris Russell and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. All he's done is score a goal and an assist in three games. He has a plus/minus rating of +1 and led all Blue Jackets in Friday's game against Nashville with nearly 23 minutes of ice time.

Rome gives Columbus another stay-at-home defender, but Wilson's play has addressed one of the team's greatest needs - a puck-moving defenseman.

While his two points look good on paper, Wilson's on-ice play has been even better. The fleet-footed 24-year-old has shown a knack for rushing the puck and creating scoring chances, traits which Columbus defensemen, and several forwards, lack.

Wilson's offensive skills have been most noticeable, but he is no Bryan Berard - the kid can defend. His skating ability allows him to recover from turnovers in the offensive zone and he has rarely found himself out of position. Wilson does not seem phased by the speed of the NHL game, something that often takes young defensemen years to adapt to.

Rome and Wilson's short stints in the NHL are hardly indications of how their careers will turn out, but if the pair continues to play at this high level they should make jobs on the Blue Jackets' blue line scarce in the future.