NHL Columbus Blue Jackets: Previewing the Upcoming Season

The Columbus Blue Jackets have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs only once in their existence. They still haven’t won a game in the postseason.

With the fan base in Ohio dwindling, GM Scott Howson made some bold moves in the offseason, hoping to finally turn his team’s fortunes around.

He made a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, acquiring centre Jeff Carter for Jakub Voracek and Columbus’ first round pick in 2011.

He also traded for defenseman James Wisniewski and signed him to a six-year deal.

Will it all be enough to turn the Jackets into a playoff team? Let’s preview the team going into the 2011-2012 season.

Forwards

With the offseason acquisition of Jeff Carter, the forward position looks to be stronger than ever for the Jackets. They finally have a bonafide first-line centre to play with superstar winger Rick Nash. They may not be a perfect fit on the same line, however, as they are both shoot-first players.

Rick Nash is the ideal power forward. He is the leader of the offense for the Jackets and brings a physical edge to his game. He also has exceptionally soft hands for such a big body. Nash is a threat to score 40 goals this season.

Carter is also a 40-goal threat. He potted 36 last year, albeit on a more talented team. Nevertheless, he is talented and should be given more of an opportunity in Columbus than he had in Philadelphia.

Kristian Huselius is a productive winger, but he will be sidelined for a good portion of the season with a chest injury. R.J. Umberger is a big winger with a scoring touch. He should chip in 50-60 points this year.

Centre Derick Brassard has shown glimpses of being the centre Nash needed, but has not been consistent enough to warrant first-line minutes.

Antoine Vermette is a good two-way forward and Samuel Pahlsson is a solid penalty killer for the Jackets.

The forward position should be considered Columbus’ strength, as they now have two 40-goal scorers and a solid, if unspectacular, supporting cast.

Defense 

James Wisniewski is being paid like a top defenseman at $5.5 million a season. Most people would say that he is not a No. 1 defenseman. He does bring that offensive flair that has been missing from the Jackets’ blueline, though. He was tied for fifth in scoring amongst defensemen last season with 51 points.

Fedor Tyutin is a versatile defenseman. He logs a lot of minutes on the back end. He can be a shutdown defenseman and also play a role on the powerplay.

Radek Marinek was signed in the offseason. He is injury prone, but he can play a shutdown role and does have a good shot.

Kris Russell is a small defenseman, but he does move the puck well and has some offensive ability.

Columbus’ old philosophy was to use big, tough defensemen. This year, they are opting for a defense that is more mobile. Their defense still has some holes, but it is an improvement over previous seasons.

Goaltending

Steve Mason has been a disappointment since his breakout year in 08-09, when he earned 33 wins and ten shutouts. If he can’t rebound this season, the playoffs may be out of reach.

Mark Dekanich will be the backup goaltender. Dekanich has played all of one game in the NHL, which puts even more pressure on Mason.

Even with the offseason acquisitions, the Jackets will be in tough to make the playoffs this year. They have a decent offense, but question marks on defense and in net could be their downfall.

Of the eight teams in the West that made it last year, only Phoenix has regressed enough to miss this year. With their injuries behind them, St. Louis looks like a good bet to earn that last spot.

A playoff spot may not be in the cards this year, but Columbus is moving in the right direction.