Preseason Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets

Well, I accidentally deleted the Columbus review so here's the short and sweet version.

The Columbus Blue Jackets

Team M.O.: These guys have adopted the Ken Hitchcock's defensive style of play and have added all kindsa sandpaper to it. However, they're young, feisty, and collectively have a lot of untapped offensive potential. They could be a dangerous team this season.

Last Season: Columbus made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history where they were eliminated in four games by the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Offense: Rick Nash is the man here, but no one can deny the affects that R.J. Umberger and Antoine Vermette have had since joining the club. Derrick Brassard showed a lot of promise before getting injured, so the Columbus fans will hope he regains his form when he comes back. Jarret Boll is one of the toughest young guys on the squad but Derek Dorsett isn't afraid to chuck knuckles either. The team let Manny Malhotra and Mike Peca walk through free agency, but picked up defensive powerhouse Sammy Pahlsson in the process. If Fredrik Modin can be injury free and if Raffi Torres can regain his offensive touch, then they might be good as is. Probably wouldn't be surprised if there were a few invites to camp, though.

Defense: The defense on this team doesn't make a whole lot of waves while being silently affective. Fedor Tyutin lead the team in defensive scoring last season while Mike Commodore is starting to look comfortable in his role as a rugged defender with solid leadership skills. It was an up year for Jan Hejda as he's starting to realize his potential by playing a top-four defensive role in the NHL while it was a down year for Rostislav Klesla who was limited to 34 games due to injuries. Marc Methot seems poised to be on the Columbus team on a permanent basis as will Kris Russell, but Russell needs to start watching his play without the puck. If those guys can perform well, they won't need to sign anyone else and can use Mathieu Roy in a gritty Number 7 defender role.

Goaltending: Steve Mason won the Calder Trophy and has subsequently won the starting job in Columbus. Backing him up will be Mathieu Garon, who will provide invaluable experience in both having played the starter's role before and having won a Stanley Cup last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Daniel LaCosta has re-signed with the team and will report to the minors as their third goaltender; the depth on this team is fine by me.

Expectations: These guys should make the playoffs IMO. How far they get depends on how much the youngsters step up and how much the veterans can hold down the fort.