What Sean Monahan's return could mean for Blue Jackets

Having a veteran player out of the lineup can play a role in any team’s dynamic. Monahan was a consistent scorer with 41 points in 41 games (14 goals, 27 assists) before his injury. The Blue Jackets went 18-17-6 in that span.

While Monahan was out of the lineup, the Blue Jackets went 13-12-3, but they were on a six-game losing streak until Monday. 

Monahan isn't the only Columbus player who has made his way back onto the ice after injury. Defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who had been out of the lineup since Oct. 15 because of shoulder surgery, also returned to the Blue Jackets on Monday. The presence of the two veterans helped breathe life into the locker room.

“It’s huge getting those guys back,” captain Boone Jenner told NHL.com “I can’t say enough about each of them, what they bring on the ice and in the room here, just true pros that have been around for a long time. You add those two guys in your locker room, it's gonna help you. They’ve battled extremely hard, we’ve seen firsthand, to get back and come back at a crucial time of year.”

So, can the Blue Jackets bounce back with just under a month left in the regular season now that Monahan is back?

Columbus (32-29-9), which plays next on Friday at home against the Canucks, has 73 points, two behind the Montreal Canadiens (33-28-9) in the wild-card race and one point behind the Islanders (32-28-10) and Rangers (34-32-6).  Wins against the Ottawa Senators (37-28-5, 79 points), who are on Columbus' schedule three more times, could give the Blue Jackets the points needed to sneak ahead in the race.

If Monahan gets back to consistently scoring for the Blue Jackets, they have a great chance of surprising the league.