After making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2009, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 2009-10 season was anything but impressive. In fact, with a 32-35-15 record, the Blue Jackets’ season was simply pathetic.
Goaltender Steve Mason had a sophomore slump for the ages, head coach Ken Hitchcock was relieved of his duties, and GM Scott Howson could do nothing but watch his team sink to the bottom of the standings.
But their performance this year should not be cause for great alarm, as there is a bit of optimism that comes out of the Columbus organization this year. The Jackets had a fair amount of depth, as they had five players with at least 50 points – Rick Nash (67), Antoine Vermette (65), Kristian Huselius (63), RJ Umberger (55), and Jakub Voracek (50).
Their biggest problem, though, came on the defensive side of the puck. Only two full- time forwards had a positive plus/minus rating (Vermette and Derek Dorsett) while only one defenseman had a plus/minus rating above zero (Kris Russell). The Blue Jackets lacked a shutdown d ...
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Article written by Alan Bass