Columbus seeing blue

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Columbus Blue Jackets will surely become a player at the upcoming NHL Entry Draft in June. From the unsettled Rick Nash situation, to having the second overall pick, Columbus will be an interesting team to watch not only at the draft but before it as well. No matter how you slice it and dice it, things won’t be boring that’s for sure.
 

As usual, the Blue Jackets have needs on both ends of the ice. The team was 26^th in offense and 28^th in defense. Their power play was 24^th and was dead last on the penalty kill. The good news is they were 9^th in face-offs.
 
On offense Nash was again a force to be reckoned with scoring 30 goals and 29 assists to lead the team in goals and points. Vinny Prospal led the team in assists with 39. RJ Umberger was second in goals with 20. Only five other players had 10 or more goals. On defense only three players who were a positive in the plus/minus category. The goaltending isn’t as bad at imagined with Curtis Sanford and Allen York both having goals against averages below 3.00 and save percentages over 90%.
 
Essentially the Blue Jackets aren’t much better than an expansion team after all these years. Attendance as gone down and the team’s franchise player is about to be dealt. You can bet the Blue Jackets first pick will be a prize teams with multiple picks and players to trade for. Between the pick and the impending Nash deal the Blue Jackets might get better sooner than later.
 
With Nail Yakupov looking like he will be taken first overall by the Edmonton Oilers, the Blue Jackets will have the pick of the litter. If the Blue Jackets decide to keep the pick, which in our mock draft we don’t predict potential trade, and they decide to go for a center or right wing help by drafting Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec, QMJHL). Regardless if the Blue Jackets keep Nash or not, he will either be his replacement or linemate since Grigorenko can play either center or right wing. Filip Forsberg (Sweden) is considered more of a two way forward and teams generally don’t draft two-way players that high so keep Forsberg out of the mix.
 
If Columbus goes for defense, look no further than Ryan Murray (Everett, WHL) who could man the Blue Jackets blueline for years to come. If I were the Jackets that would be my player but I’m not the GM whose job is on the line. What will most likely determine who the Jackets will take depends on what the Jackets get back in the Nash deal. With that said, look for Columbus to make the following announcement.
 
“With the second overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets select, from the Quebec Remparts, Mikhail Grigorenko.”
 
To learn more about Mikhail Grigorenko click here .
 
Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com Contact the photographer at Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com Follow us on Twitter at @prohockeynews