The Blue Jackets need their reinforcements to make an immediate impact

The Columbus Blue Jackets are getting back two important veterans ahead of their game against the New York Islanders tonight. Center Sean Monahan is slated to play for the first time since a wrist injury suffered on January 7th; while defenseman Erik Gudbranson will play his first game since suffering a shoulder injury on October 15th.

With the team mired in a six game losing streak where they've earned just one point in the standings, they need both of these guys to step in and make an immediate impact. There is no more time to waste for this team if they are serious about making a playoff run this season.

Only 13 games remain on the schedule, and the Blue Jackets sit four points out of the final wild card spot in the east. To realistically give themselves a shot at a playoff seed, they'll need to win at least 10 of those games. They desperately need points, and getting back some key veterans should help calm the overall mood of the team.

Monahan's importance cannot be understated. Signed last offseason to a deal many snarked at, he's been everything they have long desired in a top-six center. While centering a line with Kirill Marchenko and Dimitri Voronkov, they've been one of the best lines in the entire NHL this season.

Through 41 games, he tallied 14 goals and 41 points on the season, still ranking 6th on the team in spite of 28 games missed. All of this while being reliable on faceoffs, and a calming mentor for the younger players on this roster. Contrary to summer opinions around the league, I would argue that his 5-year, $5.5 million dollar AAV contract has been a massive bargain thus far.

On the other side of the coin, Erik Gudbranson has been missed for a lot of the same reasons. His calm veteran presence has been sorely missing from a CBJ blue line that is still giving up way too much in its own end.

He brings a lot of the traits that have been missing from the team's blue line for much of this season. His size, net-front physicality, and simple plays off the glass should help this team be more respectable in its defensive zone. He's missed most of the year, so it may take him a bit more time to get up to speed with the system - but, he's a guy who has been around long enough, and whose game is simple enough, that he should be able to at least help this team in some capacity, right away.

Who comes out of the lineup?

The Blue Jackets may benefit the most from having their depth shifting around due to the return of these two veterans. An early look at the lines at practice yesterday showed us what the team may look like tonight on Long Island:

If this holds up, Monahan and Gudbranson will push Yegor Chinakhov and Jack Johnson out of the lineup. I'm a little bit surprised about Chinakhov because it seemed like he was starting to find his way. But, it looks like Dean Evason prefers to keep his "identity line" of Zach Aston-Reese, Justin Danforth, and Mathieu Olivier together, rather than utilize the Russian sniper in a depth role.

I'm less surprised about Johnson coming out of the lineup. His biggest value is on the penalty kill; but that's a role that Gudbranson can fill, and he plays on the right side. It's an easy switch to make.

More important impacts are to the makeup of the lines themselves. Adam Fantilli stepped in and did a remarkable job filling in for Monahan on the top line. But, he's struggled of late, and perhaps getting him away from top line matchups - and putting reliable Boone Jenner on his wing - will help him get back on track.

In theory, this lineup gives the Blue Jackets a lot more balance; with two scoring lines, as well as two veteran bottom-six lines. It will be interesting to see how they play tonight, but I don't think this will be their makeup for too long.

Chinakhov is far too talented to leave in the press box forever. And, Cole Sillinger nears his return as well. The two of them were skating together at practice yesterday, and we've seen them have chemistry before. I have to wonder what this means for the team moving forward, as they've struggled to score in recent weeks - and the guys who might have been the obvious scratches before, have stepped up into larger roles.

It's something we'll pay close attention to. In the meantime, let's keep our fingers crossed that Monahan and Gudbranson can quiet down the noise and help this team win some games this week.