As the Blue Jackets get healthy, it's time to kick things into high gear

The Blue Jackets will get back two important players tonight. It's not a moment too soon. This team needs to shift into an even higher gear if they are going to make a serious playoff push this season.

Denton Mateychuk will be in the lineup, playing in his first game since suffering an undisclosed upper-body injury thanks to a Brandon Tanev hit back on January 11th. Quietly, Denton has turned into a very good t̶o̶p̶ ̶f̶o̶u̶r̶ top pairing defenseman for this team.

Tonight, he will slot into the second pair alongside Ivan Provorov. But, I don't think it will take long for Rick Bowness to see how good he is, and I would not be surprised to see him become the second most used defenseman on the team.

Meanwhile, forward Miles Wood will return, playing in his first game since December 31st. He has been a nice addition to this team's bottom-six up front, with 8 goals and 12 points in 32 games played.

The problem is, he's been used all over the lineup because this team has been weeding through the odd injury. That isn't going to be the case any longer. They are suddenly healthy, and looking deeper than ever.

Tonight, Miles will be used on the fourth line, where this team could definitely use a bit more speed, power, and offense. He will play alongside Dmitri Voronkov and Isac Lundestrom, giving this team a line that should be able to handle all situations.

That's a luxury they have not had much this year. They've relied on a variety of players-veterans and youngsters alike-to provide some depth and support, as pieces have come in and out of the lineup.

Of course, every team goes through injuries. What matters is, how you handle them. I think the Jackets have done a pretty good job treading water, all things considered. But, now, it's time to curb the excuses and kick this thing into 5th gear.

10 games to prove you belong.

The trade deadline is March 6th, which is going to be here a lot sooner than it seems. That's because the NHL is taking a three week break due to the Olympics in Milan, Italy.

That means the Blue Jackets have 10 games to prove to GM Don Waddell that they are ready to make a playoff push. A strong run over this stretch could force him to keep the band together.

A not-so-strong run? Well, let's just say he has a lot of cards in his deck.

With the team fully healthy (Dante Fabbro remains out, but he's close), everyone will get a chance to take on a role. Whether that's on the top line, or as the 8th defenseman; there is a lot up for grabs as this team runs through this next stretch of very critical games.

If they can win six or seven of these games, they will find themselves right in the playoff hunt come deadline day. If not, maybe Waddell sees enough from some of the other players here, that makes him deal away pieces that might not otherwise have been available.

Either way, for Rick Bowness, having a fully healthy lineup to pick and choose from, is a great luxury. Hopefully the team continues its strong run and rewards the organization for the faith that has been shown in them this year.