Columbus Blue Jackets: What Does the Future Hold for the Union Blue?

Don't look now, but the Columbus Blue Jackets have picked up seven points in their last five games.

Last week, the Jackets lost a close matchup to the Minnesota Wild, went to war with the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins, and won their first game in Nashville since 2006.

They picked up right where they left off Monday against Calgary as Jeff Carter buried two goals, with the Jackets controlling the tempo of the game.

Though these points put Columbus nowhere close to the top eight in the Western Conference, it is clear the team is finally getting their act together in November.

The Jackets have been in the media a lot during this season, but for all of the wrong reasons.

After the worst start to a season in franchise history, rumors emerged that the team was looking to fire both head coach Scott Arniel and general manager Scott Howson.

Then, just last week, it was reported by RDS, the French-speaking sister station of TSN, that newly acquired Jeff Carter was fed up with his time in Columbus already and wanted out, requesting a trade.

Even though Carter, his agent, and the Blue Jackets front office have denied the rumors, the fact is that change is in the air—whether the team likes it or not.

Whether the Blue Jackets are able to turn things around or they continue their downward spiral, changes will be made and they could come very soon.

So what does the future hold for the Union Blue? Let's take a look.

Jeff Carter Will Not Be Traded

As mentioned in the intro, rumors emerged last week that Jeff Carter was unhappy in Columbus and had requested a trade.

However, those teams who are in desperate need of a center can take Carter off of their wish list.

The Blue Jackets front office, as well as Carter himself, were quick to deny that the 26-year-old wanted a change of venue or had even talked to anyone who published the rumors.

RDS did get something right: Carter is unhappy, but right now no one in Columbus is happy at this point.

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“I don’t think anybody is happy (in the dressing room) right now,” Carter said before Saturday's game against the Predators.

“If anybody is happy in this room, they shouldn’t be. We’ve won three games."

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General manager Scott Howson has made some questionable moves in the past, but trading a player who has only played 10 games with the team will not be one of them.

Carter missed some time this season with fracture in his foot and has yet to build chemistry with his new teammates; the Jackets front office has not even had the time to see if their offseason investment was a good one or not.

Against the Predators over the weekend, it could be seen that Carter and Rick Nash have begun to build some chemistry as Nash, off a turnover, gave a impressive no-look behind-the-back pass to Carter who buried his first goal as a Blue Jacket.

Carter seems to finally be getting into a groove as he scored two goals against the Calgary Flames this past Monday. This is the Carter the Jackets front office traded for back in the offseason.

Rick Nash Won't Be Traded Either

When Scott Howson traded for Jeff Carter and signed James Wisniewski, he was attempting to find the missing pieces they had been looking for since drafting Rick Nash in '02.

Since then, Nash has taken over as the team's best player, but his supporting cast has been anything but impressive.

Howson knew he had to do something to keep Nash happy as well as avoid the unemployment line himself.

After the team's horrid start to the season, there has been talk that the team should trade Nash in an attempt to start fresh.

However, the Jackets do not believe that this season is over, as it has only been two months, and feel that they still have a chance to be competitive in the Western Conference.

The team's front office does not believe they are rebuilding, but the complete opposite. A team that is a few puzzle pieces away from being a legit playoff contender.

By trading Nash, all of that progress that has slowly been built since the franchise's first playoff berth back in '09 would be lost.

But Derick Brassard Will Be

Jeff Carter and Rick Nash may be safe from being traded, but there are others on the team that aren't so lucky.

Since the beginning of the year, the Jackets have already made two trades to try and spark the team, trading a draft pick for center Mark Letestu and swapping defenseman Kris Russell for St.Louis' Nikita Nikitin.

The trade for Letestu creates a surplus at the center position, which has caused one-time everyday players to begin watching games from the press box.

The player who has spent the most time in the press box this season has been youngster Derick Brassard.

Brassard has been a healthy scratch for the Blue Jackets in four of the last five games, which could continue as Letestu has been a spark for the team's second line.

The sixth overall pick in the 2006 draft has now gone from being the team's No. 1 center to being possible trade bait.

The 24-year-old has shown a lot of promise in his time in Columbus and could bring a lot in return if the Jackets were to trade him.

And He May Not Be the Only Center Dealt

The Blue Jackets currently have seven centers on their roster. With the four center positions going to Jeff Carter, Mark Letestu, Samuel Pahlsson and Derek MacKenzie, the Jackets have been forced to move some of their centers to wing positions.

Youngster Ryan Johansen has fit in nicely on the team's second line at wing, as the team wants to slowly adjust him to the NHL and does not want to force him into pressure situations at center.

Former No. 1 center Antoine Vermette has slipped from centering the second line to playing left wing on the third line, while Cody Bass plays the left wing position on the fourth line after clearing waivers last week.

Like I mentioned in the previous slide, because of the abundance of centers, players like Derick Brassard have found themselves in the press box instead of on ice. He may not be the only one in a few weeks.

In the offseason, projected first-line wing Kristian Huselius suffered a torn pectoral muscle that has sidelined him since. Because of Huselius' injury, the team was forced to go back into the free agent market and signed Vinny Prosal to a one-year deal.

Prospal has been a pleasant surprise this season and will most likely stay on the top line, even after Huselius returns.

The most likely scenario here is Huselius on the third line, meaning either Vermette or Pahlsson would be forced out of their position.

Huselius' return could lead to another Jackets center being on the market before the trade deadline.

Curtis Sanford Will Soon Take over as the Team's No. 1 Goaltender

If you have not watched the Blue Jackets last three games, you may be asking yourself, "Who is Curtis Sanford?"

To be honest, I myself said the same thing during the offseason when the Blue Jackets signed both him and Mark Dekanich to backup Steve Mason going into the season.

The last time the 32-year-old played in the NHL was in 2008-2009 when he played for the Vancouver Canucks. In 15 starts, Sanford went 7-8 with a 2.59 goals against average and .906 save percentage with one shutout.

He was signed by the Blue Jackets in the offseason to a two-way contract so that he could act as the starter for the Jackets' AHL affiliate Springfield Falcons.

However, as the struggles of Steve Mason continue and Mark Dekanich remains on the sidelines, Sanford was called in to start last week for the first time in four years.

Against the Boston Bruins, Sanford was phenomenal, stopping 26 of 27 shots and holding strong on the penalty kill late in the game. Although the Jackets lost, Sanford was a breath of fresh air in net.

Sanford's play earned him back-to-back starts and he did something that no Jackets goaltender has been able to do in five years—win in Nashville. He made 27 saves, stopped a breakaway, and made an incredible glove save in the third period to keep the Jackets in the game.

His impressive play would not stop there as he saved 27 of 28 against the Calgary Flames for his first back-to-back wins since his time in Vancouver.

Sanford brings something with him that Mason has yet to deliver in the three seasons: consistency.

The Ontario native gives the Jackets the best possible chance at winning and will continue to get more starts over the young Mason.

Making Steve Mason Expendable

It's been no secret that the Jackets have been looking for a replacement for Steve Mason in net.

Names like Winnipeg's Chris Mason, Boston's Tuukka Rask, and Vancouver's Cory Schneider have all popped up as players the Jackets may be interested in.

After two seasons of inconsistency, the Jackets decided to give Steve Mason another try in the offseason, but he has yet again failed to deliver.

Luckily for him, however, early on in the year the Jackets had no one that could give the team a better chance to win, with both Curtis Sanford and Mark Dekanich hurt, and only rookie Allen York as a backup.

Now that Sanford is finally healthy and actually delivering, Mason has been keeping the seat on the bench warm.

Sanford will continue to get the starts at least this week as Mason is currently recovering from a head injury he suffered earlier in the week during practice when he was struck in the mask by a Rick Nash shot.

Depending on how long Mason's injury keeps him sidelined, the Jackets may have to continue trade talks for another netminder until either Mason or Dekanich is ready to return.

If Columbus were to acquire another goaltender, they may begin to listen to offers for Mason if a team feels a change of venue will do him well.

Even if the Jackets still trade for one of the above mentioned names, Sanford gives the team a better shot at winning than Mason.

The Jackets Will Trade for Defense at the Trade Deadline

I thoroughly believe that the Jackets will take care of their goaltending issues way before the trade deadline come February.

If the Jackets are anywhere close to the top eight, they will look to the blue line at the deadline.

In the offseason, Columbus made headlines when they signed top free agent James Wisniewski to a six-year, $30 million contract.

The team also re-signed key defenseman Fedor Tyutin and Grant Clitsome, finishing the team's top two defensive pairings alongside Marc Methot.

When the Jackets could not come to terms with Jan Hejda, former New York Islander Radek Martinek was brought in to try and replace him, though the move was a risk with Martinek's history of injuries.

Martinek was impressive in his first few games, until the injury bug struck again when he suffered a concussion back in October.

The 35-year-old has shown some progress since, but there is not time table for his return.

Because of his injury, fans have seen several different players spend time on the Jackets blue line, including Aaron Johnson and youngster John Moore.

The Jackets will have to find another shutdown defenseman before the deadline, as Martinek's chances of staying healthy late in his career are slim.

Scott Howson Will Still Have a Job by the End of the Season

Before last offseason, general manager Scott Howson had always played it safe. He was never known for making big trades and signing top free agents, instead building his team through the draft and farm system.

However, at the end of last season, in yet another year without postseason play, Howson realized he had to go out of his comfort zone if he wanted to keep his job.

This led to him trading the team's first-round pick for Jeff Carter and signing the one of the top defensive free agents in Wisniewski.

Howson also made small, but key moves signing Vinny Prospal, Radek Martinek, Curtis Sanford and Mark Dekanich to give the team depth.

Howson did his job and he did it well, putting one of the most talented teams in Blue Jackets history on the ice.

However, no journey cannot be accompanied without some bumps in the road as Wisniewski was suspended for the first eight games, Carter fractured his foot, and Dekanich sprained his ankle during the preseason.

Again, with the Jackets' month of October the worst in franchise history, many believed that both Howson and coach Scott Arniel would be fired, but both still remain with the team.

Howson cannot be handed the blame for the Jackets' misfortunes. His job as a general manager is to put a competitive team on the ice and he has done that; it is not his fault players suffered suspensions or injuries.

Howson will continue to try and improve the team's roster throughout the season, as he is currently looking for another goaltender to fix the issues in net.

If Columbus' downward spiral continues, it will most likely be Arniel that is fired, not Howson.