Columbus Blue Jackets 2008-09 Season Outlook

All signs point that the Jackets are pretty set in their roster for the 2008-09 season.  There may be a few tweaks, some re-upped contracts, etc.—but I don’t see them adding another significant player to the roster.

So Jackets fans, I present you with your COLUMBUS…BLUUUUUUUE JACKETS!

Forwards

Top Line:                    Nash - - Umberger - - Huselius

Secondary:                Modin - - Brassard - - Voracek

Depth:                         Chimera - - Peca - - Torres

Depth:                         Murray - - Malhotra - - Boll

Reserves:  Tommy Sestito, A Picard, D Dorsett, S Legein, N Filatov

In my eyes, the top line was easy.  Huselius is more of a set-up man than a pure goal scorer (something you usually see in a center) so he belongs with Nash one way or another.  

Modin is a left-winger and will provide a sturdy base for the two young guns on the second line.  Torres and Peca played together in Edmonton and will be a greater checking line and the last trio will give us some decent grinders. 

The reserves—these are the guys who will fill in when Modin is injured (75 percent of the season).  The question marks here are Legein and Filatov, both are young, small, fast, and good with the puck. 

Legein may get a look in the spring, and Filatov is a total mystery—I can easily see him playing in either the AHL or the OHL (remember that there is no age restriction for Europeans for the AHL).  For the rest, if they make it they’ll play only a few minutes a night on the fourth line.

Defense

D1:                              Commodore - - Hejda

D2:                              Klesla - - Tyutin

D3:                              Backman - - Tollefsen

Reserves:  K Russell, M Methot, A Rome, Wilson

Not much to explain here—I’m not too confident in my prediction on the top, Hejda and Rusty played very well together.  Still, I think it’s pretty set. 

Russell will spend almost a full season in the AHL where he can develop.  Rome and Methot will rotate with Tollefsen.  Wilson will get a couple shots if he can develop his puck-moving abilities a bit in the 'Cuse

Goal

G:                                Leclaire

G:                                Norrena

Reserve:                     S Mason

Again, not much explanation is needed.  I really don’t see Mason getting much time in the NHL unless Leclaire or Freddy get hurt.  I’d like to see him play a full, solid season in Syracuse and come up the following year when Norrena’s contract is up.

Summary

The Blue Jackets have a lot of question marks for this team, both good and bad.  Let’s start with the bad news .

Bad: There is still no No. 1 center in terms of pure talent.  Umberger is good, but I’m thinking about Nash’s production in the World’s while playing on a line with Heatley and Getzlaf. 

There are also lots of injury questions.  Torres is coming off a shortened season (32 games) because of his knee and Modin only played 23 because of all sorts of afflictions. 

Peca may have suffered some pain last season from the leg injury he suffered with Toronto. Tollefsen had offseason neck surgery, and while the recovery of Steve Mason’s knee is on schedule, it still makes me nervous.

Good:  Nash had a career high in points last season with mostly inferior linemates. This year he’s paired with a budding star and an established playmaker with no major injury history.  Look for him to set another personal best. 

The second major spotlight is on Brassard and Jake (Voracek).  Brassard had a chance last season, but was hindered by a jaw injury—he lost a lot of precious body weight and never quite recovered until the AHL playoffs where he was a dynamo. 

As for Jake—at this point we can only dream of his potential.  Third is our new Russian prospect—Nikita Filatov.  The kid is bursting with potential and could be wearing a Jackets’ sweater at some point next year.

Overall:  If the Jackets’ “good” can come through then the team is looking forward at their best season in franchise history.  With 94 points next season, we’ll taste the playoffs. 

What about the rest of our division?  What about them? 

Chicago is stronger and Detroit is a powerhouse and Nashville  is a pest(although if they loose Radulov it'll be a major blow to their offense), but can’t four teams from the same division make the playoffs? 

If you answered “no” then please reference the Eastern Conference—specifically the Atlantic Division.  We’ll play the Wild in the first round and beat them in six.  Then we'll lose to the Wings, but—we got there!