Don’t look now, but the laughing stock of the league in August has become the feel-good story of 2013.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, who sported a 29-46-7 record last season (good for last in the NHL) were belittled in the offseason for sporting “an AHL roster”. Their forward lines and defensive pairings lacked depth and star power. The goaltending tandem was deemed inexperienced and incredibly inconsistent. Most notably, now-former Columbus general manager Scott Howson was seen by everybody as a serious liability, with the potential to sign off on trades that could only be seen as laughable.