At best, you could grade Nathan Horton’s injury-ravaged first season with the Columbus Blue Jackets as “incomplete.” There’s some question about his chances of entering 2014-15 at 100 percent, yet the Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline provided an optimistic update in that regard on Sunday.
Portzline believes that Horton could very well enter training camp at full strength:
RT @ed_pogue: @Aportzline @SaganPaul AP-chances Horton 100% by train camp? // Very good. He and Boll around the rink everyday working out.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) June 22, 2014
Here’s one thing that should be clear: the Blue Jackets shouldn’t rush the 29-year-old back before he’s ready.
That sounds simple, yet it would be understandable if Columbus is getting antsy to get more value out of the power forward. He underwent offseason shoulder surgery in 2013 that delayed his Blue Jackets debut until Jan. 2 and then required abdominal surgery that kept him from aiding the franchise in a rare postseason appearance.
As disappointing as his 19 points in 36 games might look, It almost seems like an accomplishment that he played that many games in the first place.
Horton is about to enter the second season of a seven-year, $37.1 million deal that carries a $5.3 million cap hit.
