Dept at Right Wing

[Declan]

This is part of a series of articles that looks at each position of the Blue Jackets in depth. Go back to the main Blue Jackets forum for more articles & discussion on the Blue Jackets.

We'll never know for sure. But it's worth wondering how the events of the 2008-09 season impacted Rick Nash's willingness to sign a long-term extension with the Blue Jackets.

What if the Blue Jackets hadn't made the playoffs, hadn't shown an inkling of being headed in the right direction? What if rookie center Derick Brassard hadn't shown No. 1 center potential before injuring his shoulder? What if the Jackets hadn't landed another skilled center (Antoine Vermette) at the trade deadline?

If the Blue Jackets were the same old Blue Jackets, captain Nash might be giving the Jackets the same "wait and see" treatment Ilya Kovalchuk, a free agent next summer, is giving the Atlanta Thrashers.

Instead, Nash is in the fold for the foreseeable future. He switches to the right side to accomodate Kristian Huselius, who prefers the left side. And he leads a cast of right wingers that should be very impressive.

Here's how The Dispatch sees the Blue Jackets' depth chart at right wing:

1. Rick Nash
2. Jake Voracek
3. Fredrik Modin
4. Derek Dorsett
5. Jared Boll
6. Maksim Mayorov
7. Stefan Legein

A thumbnail look at each of them:

RICK NASH

The dawn of the Ken Hitchcock coaching era in Columbus was supposed to mean the death of 40-goal seasons for Nash. Look at Mike Modano's early-career production vs. his production when Hitchcock took over in Dallas, the reasoning went. Even Nash considered this a possibility.

No more. Nash had 38 goals in 2007-08 and 40 goals last season, the second 40-goal season of his career.

Keep in mind, Nash, 25, has never had a true scoring-line center next to him outside of the Olympics or the World Championships. He's been mostly an independent contractor in Columbus, scoring goals off chances that he alone has created.

That could change now with Derick Brassard at center on the top line. Nash will play on the right side, as well as the top power play and penalty kill units.

Contract: $5.4M cap hit (signed through 2017-18)
Fantasy projection: 44-48-92, 70 PIMs

JAKE VORACEK

Voracek had a very good rookie season, but, with the early-season push by Brassard and the mid- to late-season push by goaltender Steve Mason, he was overshadowed in Columbus, let alone the rest of the NHL.

This kid is going to be special. If you'll recall, Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson likened Voracek to Ales Hemsky, both in their style of play but also the need to be brought into the NHL slowly. The prediction was that Voracek, who turns 20 on Saturday, would be a healthy scratch a few times each month to let him breathe.

Well, he played 80 games, and put up 9-29-38, falling one point short of Nash's rookie totals. His demeanor in the dressing room and "compete level" on the ice made him an instant hit with teammates and players.

As a playmaking winger, he should fit perfectly on a No. 2 line with R.J. Umberger and Vermette.

Contract: $1.271M cap hit (signed through 2010-11)
Fantasy projection: 16-46-62, 50 PIMs

FREDRIK MODIN

Since Modin's contract extension kicked in at the start of the 2007-08 season, the big Swede has missed more games (91) than he's played (73). Nobody is more frustrated by this than Modin, who wants desperately to contribute. Many wondered if the Blue Jackets considered buying out the final year of his contract.

If he can stay healthy -- and that is a big 'If" for the soon-to-be 35-year-old -- Modin could be a significant boost to the top three forward lines. Hitchcock mentioned earlier this summer that he envisions playing Modin on a line with checking line center Sammy Pahlsson.

Modin used to be a lock for 75 games, 20 goals and 20 assists. If the first number is upheld, the other two could follow. But with decreasing ice time, it's probably time to expect less from Modin.

Contract: $3.250M cap hit (UFA after 2009-10 season)
Fantasy projection: 12-14-26, 32 PIMs

DEREK DORSETT

A few might be surprised to see Dorsett listed higher than Boll, but he had a better 2008-09 season. As a rookie, Dorsett played 52 games and had 150 penalty minutes. He also played with an energy and a passion that brought smiles to the front office.

Dorsett is Tyler Wright's protege, clearly. He's a firestarter, but he'll also fight, often against players with a clear size advantage.

The Hitchcockian plan -- as of July -- was to get Dorsett and Boll playing opposite wings on the fourth line, a bad-a@% bookend of sorts.

Contract: $563K cap hit (RFA next summer)
Fantasy projection: 4-3-7, 202 PIMs

JARED BOLL

Boll's struggles last season could be linked to a difficult summer of 2008, when he suffered a broken hand that kept him from training as normal. For any hockey player, this would be difficult. For a player who drops his gloves with great glee and regularity, it was even tougher.

On opening night, Boll suffered a staggering fight loss to Dallas' Krys Barch, a fight that was allowed to last WAY too long. He wasn't the same for the next few months, and even though he seemed to get better as the season progressed, it was only a so-so campaign.

Boll is a gamer, though, playing in 75 games for a second straight season, despite what must have been long stretches with a cloudy head. He'll play regularly this season on the fourth line. How this is going to work remains to be seen, however.

Contract: $743K cap hit (RFA next season)
Fantasy projection: 3-10-13, 192 PIMs

MAKSIM MAYOROV

A curious player. Mayorov has lots of skill, but is it NHL skill? He has decent size (6-2, 213), but can he play on a third line in the NHL? What we're saying, essentially, is that Mayorov might just be a 'tweener. He might need the perfect situation to fit at the NHL level.

What lies ahead, most likely, is another season in the minors. But Mayorov is on the short list for a call-up. Keep an eye on this guy. He had a very good rookie pro season: 17-14-31 in 71 games with Syracuse.

Contract: NHL/AHL entry level deal (RFA after 2011-12 season)
Fantasy projection: 1-1-2, 4 PIMs

STEFAN LEGEIN

Some folks just can't stay retired. Legein's shocker lasted only a couple of months, but it's going to stay with him a long, long time.

The highly quotable Legein is saying all the right things, and he looked dramatically better at this year's "prospect" camp than he did during the 2008 version. But the organization might not trust him for another couple seasons, and he might have to wait longer to get his NHL "reward" than he would have previously.

He says he's fine with this. If he plays up to his ability, if he has the heart and passion that made him such a top prospect a few years ago, he could be a third- or fourth-line difference- maker.

Contract: NHL/AHL entry level deal (RFA after 2010-11)
Fantasy projection: 0-0-0, 8 PIMs

Source: blog.dispatch.com/cbj/2009/08/depth_perception_right_wing.shtml