5. Can Columbus Win Without Horton?
Jan 17, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Nathan Horton (8) before the game against the Washington Capitals at Nationwide Arena. Columbus defeated Washington 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports
Nathan Horton missed the first half of the season, and when he finally made his Blue Jackets debut, Columbus was fourth from the bottom of the Eastern Conference and 7 points out of a playoff spot. The Blue Jackets won 23 of the 36 games Horton played, and he was a key piece to that puzzle that lifted them to the playoffs. Horton will miss pretty much the entire postseason (6 weeks) with abdominal surgery and it would take a minor miracle for the Blue Jackets to still be playing when he is recovered.