Not a happy birthday in Columbus

Column by J. Justin Boggs:

Over the last couple years, all anyone heard about the Columbus Blue Jackets’ woes were they needed a top-line center and puck a moving defender to make them a winning squad.


Over the summer, the Blue Jackets went out and did both. James Wisniewski and Jeff Carter were both added to the roster to give the Blue Jackets the spark they have been looking for over the last 11 years.

The Blue Jackets had their biggest offseason in team history.

In addition to the roster acquisitions, the Blue Jackets made arrangements with Nationwide Insurance, the city of Columbus, and Franklin County to fix Nationwide Arena’s lease agreement with the Blue Jackets. The fix is allowing Columbus and Nationwide Arena to host the 2013 NHL All-Star Game and practically guarantees the Blue Jackets’ existence in Columbus through 2039.

The Blue Jackets are on pace for their worst season in franchise history.

As the two biggest needs were met on the ice, the returning members of last year’s team have faltered and gotten us to this point. With less than two weeks before the NHL trade deadline, GM Scott Howson seems to have his finger on the eject button. It appears on the 200th birthday of the city of Columbus, the city is mere days away from losing the biggest pro athlete in Columbus’ 200 years of existence. Not the way that anyone on West Nationwide Boulevard wanted to spend the city’s bicentennial.

Reports circulated throughout the day Tuesday that Nash has given Howson a list of teams he would be willing to waive his no-movement clause in contract for. Some rumors by the self-proclaimed hockey insiders say that Nash might be headed to Los Angeles or New York.

The Blue Jackets are in a huge slump and are on pace to have the worst record in the NHL since the shootout was instituted in 2005.

With an arena deal in place, the emphasis is back on winning and winning now. The Blue Jackets owe not just their fans but now the city of Columbus wins given that every one of us are part-owners of Nationwide Arena.

For the first time in nearly a decade in Columbus, there is pressure on Nash to perform. Nash largely did not share in the blame of previous coaching regimes’ failures. When legendary coach Ken Hitchcock was relieved of his duties in 2010, Nash simply said, “That is the way sports work.”

With the most recent coaching dismissal in January, the realization might have finally hit the Jackets’ and Howson that the problem is not coaching.

The only two connections that remain from the Dave King era are losing hockey and Nash.

Besides Nash, the Blue Jackets need to take a look at goaltending. No team has had worse goaltending over the last three years than the Blue Jackets. Over the offseason, the Blue Jackets paid dearly for not going for a No. 1 goalie and relying on Steve Mason. Mason’s lack of success after his amazing rookie season has set the Blue Jackets back.

But the question remains, if the Blue Jackets simply fix their goaltending, will this be a winning team? Columbus has won 28 percent of its games. Seems like a lot more has to be done than fixing goaltending. This is why Nash’s time in Columbus might be coming to a close.



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