from Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch,

Even now, three months after the Blue Jackets’ season ended, it’s staggering to consider the impact injuries had on it.

It was the cloud that formed before training camp opened (Nathan Horton’s back) and hovered until the final days, when even trade acquisitions David Clarkson and Rene Bourque were quickly injured and missed the final month.

That cloud has become an asterisk. As the hockey world slowly turns its eyes to next season, every projection involving the Blue Jackets seems couched with a qualifier.

The Blue Jackets should be able to compete in the Metropolitan Division … if they don’t lead the league in injuries again.

The Blue Jackets feature one of the NHL’s more formidable groups of forwards … if they can stay healthy.

Blue Jackets third-year defenseman Ryan Murray could redefine the club’s blue line … if he can stay in the lineup.

“It’s behind us now,” Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said. “You hear what people say about our team, and a lot of people are excited to see what this group can do if we stay healthy. What we endured last season … it’s something I’ve never seen before, and I don’t ever want to go through it again. But it’s behind us now.”

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