Columbus Blue Jacket's Strive for Playoff Berth in Future

The Columbus Blue Jacket's have had a rough few years since they came into the NHL. The allure of a new team is starting to wear off, and the Jacket's are looking to prove to fans they are a talented team by making the playoffs this season. Columbus fans are starting to grow restless. Columbus fell only 11 points shy of a playoff spot this season, and the fans hope that they can squeeze by this season. When the NHL season starts this October, the Blue Jacket's will celebrate their eighth year in the league.

The Jacket's made a move to acquire centermen R.J Umberger from the Philadelphia Flyers this off season, proving they are committed to success this season. Along with super star winger Rick Nash, and shut out king Pascal Leclaire, the Jacket's have a nice crop of youngsters to choose from as well. The best positions for the Jacket's currently are on the wing and in net. The Jacket's lack depth at center, but will be drafting strong in that direction in the future.

The center with the most potential in the club is Derick Brassard. Brassard got his feet wet last season when he played 17 games during the months of January and February. He posted a goal and an assist with a minus-4 rating. Brassard is known as a strong skating center that can make great plays, but he will need to put on some muscle in the off season to fill out his 6-foot-1 frame. He finished the AHL season with 51 points in 42 games. Brassard could be a good candidate to move up this season if he plays his cards right.

At the wing position, the Jacket's selected Nikita Filatov with the number 6 pick overall this June in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The flashy Russian 18 year old was so highly regarded by the NHL Central Scouting Department that they called him the number one European player available in the draft. Filatov has so much talent that there is very good chance that he could see time in a Jacket's uniform this fall. He led the Russians to a silver medal in the under-18 World Championships and led the Russians in points at the 2008 World Junior Championships. Much like fellow Russian Alex Ovechkin, Filatov has an obvious love for the game, and could become a crowd favorite in Columbus.

Another winger waiting for their chance is Jakub Voracek. The Czech winger is well known as the most NHL ready player in Columbus' system right now. Taken 7^th overall in the 2007 Entry Draft, Voracek has put up impressive numbers with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Voracek posted up 101 points in just 53 games this past season with another 18 points in the playoffs. The NHL schedule can be extremely demanding on young players, especially when it comes to playing all 82 regular season games. Voracek has put on weight during this off season and has spent much of his time working on strength training to prepare for the grueling schedule.

Even though the Jacket's lack mostly at center, their defense is also a weakness throughout their system. The Blue Jacket's hold hope for Teddy Ruth, who currently plays with Notre Dame. Ruth came in the deal with Washington for Sergei Fedorov at the trade deadline last season. Ruth is a graduate of the United Stats National Development Team and finished first in fitness testing at training camp. He is one of the fittest players in the Jacket's club and could be a great addition on the back end.

Speaking of the back end, the Blue Jacket's are particularly set in net. Goaltender Steve Mason was the Jacket's third round pick, 69^th overall, who is ready to break into the pros this season. Mason has the size to be a great NHL goaltender at 6-foot-3. Mason led the Canadians to a gold medal in the 2008 World Junior Championships with a .951 save percentage. When Mason made the move from the London Knights to the Kitchener Rangers, he led them to a 13-3 record in 16 games. Mason is projected as the number one goalie of the Blue Jacket's in the future, but look for him to play a lot of games with their minor league team next season. The added experience will help him make the NHL in the years to come.