With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN.ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up are the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are trying improve on last seasons playoff campaign - provided they can get their No. 1 centre signed to a contract. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Buttons analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSNs Scott Cullen. Division: Metropolitan GM: Jarmo Kekalainen Head Coach: Todd Richards 2013-14: 43-32-7 (4th in Metropolitan) Playoffs: Lost in First Round Goals For: 226 (12th) Goals Against: 214 (13th) PP: 19.3% (11th) PK: 82.1% (14th) That Was Then: Last season was the most storied in the teams 16-year history. That seems like lofty praise for a first-round exit, but the Blue Jackets fought hard and got a consistent effort throughout their line-up to earn a playoff spot in the post-season. Things started ugly as the Jackets lost 10 of their first 15 games, including a pair of five-game losing streaks. Matters didnt get much better when Sergei Bobrovsky went down in early December with a groin injury. The team sweated out some wins under Curtis McElhinney and Mike McKenna and put the pedal down upon Bobrovskys return. They won eight in a row from Jan. 6 to Jan. 23 and thrust themselves into the Eastern Conference playoff race, earning the Eastern Conferences first wild card spot. Though outmatched on paper, the plucky Blue Jackets pulled out a pair of dramatic overtime wins against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins in Games 2 and 4. They almost forced a Game 7, but the clock ran out on the season despite a three-goal outburst in the third period of an eventual 4-3 Game 6 loss. The Jackets saluted their rapturous fans from the ice but, more importantly, may have served notice to the league that theyre for real. In just his third NHL season, 21-year-old Ryan Johansen found his stride. He emerged as the No. 1 centre the Jackets had been waiting for and piled in 33 goals without missing a single game. How that plays out this season remains to be seen. Scott Cullens Analytics Avalanche 2013-14 Stats by Quarter Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS% 1-20 2.45 2.75 6.7% .931 48.4% .425 21-41 2.81 2.86 10.7% .912 48.8% .548 42-62 3.29 2.52 9.7% .928 52.4% .690 63-82 2.10 2.25 5.3% .936 52.1% .571 NHL AVG 2.67 2.67 7.8 .922 50.0% .562 Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points. Analysis: Games 1-20: Strong goaltending wasnt enough to overcome subpar possession and shooting. Games 21-41: Goaltending dipped, but shooting skyrocketed, making them more competitive. Games 42-62: Best stretch of the season, with vastly improved possession combined with high percentages. Games 63-82: Scoring dried up, but goaltending and possession were strong enough to keep Blue Jackets in playoff picture. Key 2014 Additions: LW Jerry DAmigo, C Brian Gibbons, LW Scott Hartnell Key 2014 Subtractions: LW Blake Comeau, RW Matt Frattin, C Derek MacKenzie, G Mike McKenna, D Nick Schultz, RW Jack Skille, LW R.J. Umberger This Is Now: Building on last seasons success is no easy task for the Jackets. A full year out of Bobrovsky is also key. He shone in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season and was a spark-plug for the team upon his return last year. His save percentage prior to injury was .909, but he posted a .931 mark to finish the season. The rest is up to the development of their young core and scoring depth. Johansen had his breakout year, but second in team scoring was defenceman James Wisniewski with 51 points. The addition of Scott Hartnell from the Philadelphia Flyers is a huge character boost for a team that already has a lot of that, but questions beg about his on-ice performance. He brings grit and is always good for 100 penalty minutes, but have the Jackets acquired the 20-goal player from last season or was Hartnells scoring talent buried by the Flyers depth last year? He scored 37 in 2011-12, but at 32 years-old, expecting him to do it again may be unrealistic. Hartnell does, however, provide leadership and a positive influence for the teams young forwards. Johansen, Boone Jenner, Cam Atkinson, Artem Anisimov, Nick Foligno and Brandon Dubinsky are all still in their twenties and could learn a lot from him. DEPTH CHART Forwards Left Wing Centre Right Wing Boone Jenner Ryan Johansen Nathan Horton Scott Hartnell Brandon Dubinsky Cam Atkinson Nick Foligno Artem Anisimov Matt Calvert Jerry DAmigo Mark Letestu Corey Tropp Michael Chaput Brian Gibbons Jared Boll Kerby Rychel Alexander Wennberg Simon Hjalmarsson Defence Left Right Ryan Murray James Wisniewski Fedor Tyutin Jack Johnson Tim Erixon David Savard Frederic St. Denis Dalton Prout Will Weber Cody Goloubef Goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky Curtis McElhinney Oscar Dansk Craigs List TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons Top Prospect: Alexander Wennberg Alexander Wennberg is so fluid in his play. Excellent skater with the ability to move past defenders seemingly with ease. Can make plays with the puck at high speed and in tight areas. What should allow Alexander to be a top center is an outstanding sense of the game, offensively and defensively. He adapts to the situation and then takes advantage. Centre ice is a critical position in the NHL and a duo of Alexander and Ryan Johansen puts the Blue Jackets in a position for success. Fantasy - Cullens Player to Watch - Boone Jenner A physical forward with good size, Jenner earned a more prominent role late in his rookie season, scoring 15 points in his last 27 games (then five points in six playoff games), finishing the year on Ryan Johansens wing. Jenner is still young, only 21-years-old heading into his second season, and it could be too soon to forecast an offensive breakthrough, but if Johansen gets signed and there is an opportunity to build on the foundation they were laying last season, then Jenner should continue to play a prominent role in the Blue Jackets attack. Air Max 97 Plus France . They actually finished with a better record in ‘07 than they did in ‘06 but only marginally, going from 61 victories to 66. Air Max 97 Off White France . 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Throw in Ville Leino and Dan Carcillo.Frustrating. Sloppy. Forgettable. Choose your adjective. Toronto FC was poor in a 2-1 home loss to the New England Revolution. The play on the field resembled the dark and dreary day by the lake in downtown Toronto. The Revs may have come away with all three points, but they were no better than the home side. Two absolute gifts were the tangible difference on the day. An overall disappointing display and now three straight losses for Toronto FC. Head coach Ryan Nelsen said afterwards it was a "really good" performance by his team. Beauty must be in the eye of the beholder. Toronto FC out-possessed their opponent for the first time all season, which is progress. It should be noted there is a tangible difference between positive and negative possession. The attacking play was all too narrow and lack of cutting edge or decisiveness in the attacking end is a significant concern. Many will point to the 82nd minute penalty as Toronto FC reverting back to their old ways, conceding late. In truth, the full 90 was concerning. A fully healthy squad meant, for the first time all season, Nelsen had his full compliment of weapons. Coming off a bye week, playing at home should have given ample time for rest, recoup and regeneration. Instead, 50-50 balls were won by New England (56.5 per cent) and mistakes were more noticeable than sustained, meaningful build-up. Canadian mens national team head coach Benito Floro was in attendance to see three of his internationals feature in Toronto FCs starting XI. His analysis of the Canadian contributions had to be similar to the rest of the Canadian team: a work in progress. A late right leg/ankle injury to Jonathan Osorio left the Canadian international on crutches. If England manager Roy Hodgson were watching, he would have seen a rather anonymous performance by Jermain Defoe in his return from a long-term hamstring issue. Defoe played the full 90 (a positive) but lacked his typical sharpness. Service from the midfield remains an issue and certainly contributed to the non-descript afternoon. There is only so much he can do on his own. Here are my five thoughts on the 2-1 loss: 1) Shapes of the Midfield - Alvaro Rey was kept out of the starting XI in preference of Kyle Bekker and/or Osorio, however you want to look at it. Bekker was deployed in a holding role, which seems to be Nelsens preference, allowing attack-minded Osorio and all-action Michael Bradley to get forward. The outside left position is an interesting one for Osorio, giving him freedom to roam, checking in and out of the middle of the field. The question is whether the team is better off using a more traditional 4-4-2 with natural wing players or having Osorio in a freer role. All too often, the attack was too narrow and predictable, easy to play against. If this is the way Toronto FC wants to play, they need more overlapping runs from the wingbacks to make it work. And whether Bekker is ready/able to be a stabilizing defensive midfield player is highly debatable. Nelsen acknowledged he was happy how his new-look middle four worked. To the critical eye, it needs work. 2) Oh Henry - Centre-back Doniel Henry returned from a five-week absence (left knee sprain) and the early returns didnt flatter. It was a struggle throughout, with Henry the culprit for both goals conceded. In the first half, Henrys careless, errant pass straight up the middle went right to Revolution midfielder Daigo Kobayashi. A quick pass to Patrick Mullins and a powerful strike from distance beat Julio Cesar for the equalizer. Credit Mullins, as he still had much work to do. Henrys distribution and decision-making must improve for him to take the next step. Remember, hes only 20. With a physical maturity beyond his years, its the mental maturity that is a step behind. Hes a beast in challenges and will continue to be a frustrating asset for the time being. The final blow on a gut-wrenching day for the defeender was his handball in the box, leading to the 82nd minute Lee Nguyen penalty winner.dddddddddddd A controversial retaken corner kick and Justin Morrows ensuing poor clearance obviously played a role. All too often, Henry slides recklessly inside the 18-yard box and this time, he was punished with the ball hitting his arm. There was no argument whether it was a penalty. Henry will have better days. Hes still the starting centre-back for this team. That should not be debated. 3) In Bloom? - It remains somewhat a surprise Mark Bloom is the preferred option at right back. Bloom has done little wrong to start the season. Hes proven himself to be a valuable squad player on an incredibly team friendly contract. But is he the best option? Bloom provides little getting forward in attack. There were numerous opportunities to get forward and overlap, yet he stays put, falling deep in support. When he does get forward, good things happen. But hes not programmed to be that free-flowing outside back that is preferential in the modern game. Bradley Orr, on the other hand, has more to offer. The Englishman was outstanding deputizing at centre-back with Henry out through injury. Orr is a natural right back however, and seems a better fit to take over the position. Bloom should and will continue to play a role. But Nelsen may do better with Orr as his regular. 4) Action Jackson - The Brazilian midfielder was all over the field, in the middle of good and bad all day long. Jacksons goal was fortunate, taking a nasty deflection off AJ Soares, freezing goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. Its Jacksons goal for now, but a case can be made for an own goal. The rest of the day was hardly a Picasso. The Brazilians work-rate is his biggest asset. A controlled temperament is not in his arsenal. Jackson has been involved in numerous questionable challenges on the year. In the 43rd minute, he was involved in the worst of any to date. Jackson failed to control and went in high and late on Chris Tierney, catching the midfielder with his studs up to the chest. Jackson was shown a yellow but he should have been sent off. A little more restraint is needed in a league where more times than not, hasty decisions are made. He needs to be more in control: of the ball, in his decisions, and positioning. 5) Failure to Launch - Nelsen pointed to missed opportunities as being a disappointment. Misfiring Gilberto hit the post twice and still looks a step off and rather uncomfortable in his surroundings. Henry had a header on the far post go wide. And Defoe was crafty in manufacturing a chance late, putting a left-footed strike just past the left post. Its fair for Nelsen to point to the inability to take their chances as reason for defeat. Its also fair to say New England, despite only having 40 per cent possession, missed opportunities as well. Both teams were similar in attempts on goal (15-14), so its how Toronto FC uses possession thats the bigger issue. Bradley continues to be a powerhouse going forward through the middle. But on a day the opponent is content to sit back and welcome pressure through the middle, its all too predictable and easy to defend. Toronto FC needs to spread its tactical wings, developing layers of attack and giving more options through natural team movement. If they are unable to do so, they will remain best as a counter-attacking team, relying on the likes of Defoe to take whatever limited chances fall their way. This, perhaps, is not the best way to utilize millions of dollars of talent. Once again, this is a work in progress for all. Progress is essential over the next month leading into the World Cup break. There is still good reason to think this can all come together and work efficiently. Next up for Toronto FC is a date with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the opening leg of their Amway Canadian Championship tie, Wednesday (7:30pm et) at BMO Field. @WheelerTSNgareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca ' ' '