Jacub Voracek as a positive example

Blue Jackets fans are already aware that Jake Voracek has been one of the true bright spots of our recent drafts. Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada fame mentioned Jake in a report today as a comparison to the plight of the Leafs Nazem Kadri. The general feeling in Toronto is that Leafs high picks better perform, early and often. Kadri, a 2009 entry draft pick, was cut this weekend by the Leafs and sent to their AHL club (conveniently also located in Toronto).

Friedman listed the NHL games played by the #7 overall pick of each draft since the lockout. Among these, only Voracek had played a whole season.

This whole Nazem Kadri thing is insane. Since the lockout, here's how many games the seventh overall pick has played in the two years after his selection: Jack Skille (2005, 0); Kyle Okposo (2006, 9); Jakub Voracek (2007, 80); Colin Wilson (2008, 35). Jeff Skinner, taken in June, may beat them all, but Okposo is proof that not playing a ton by that point is no a big deal. Even Skille is still a prospect.

This fact points out that Jake was more "NHL Ready" at the time of his drafting than most of his counterparts at the same draft position, as has been proven by his continued success. However, It also points to the fact that the Blue Jackets have long had a dearth of scoring talent to properly fill out it's top six, and Jake got as many or more opportunities than his peers due to that fact.

It also shows the difference between just 2 years ago when Jake made his way into the starting lineup and today when Nikki Filatov is doing the same. To make room for Filatov, the CBJ are pushing R.J. Umberger down to the 3rd line to play with Ethan Moreau and Sammy Pahlsson. I can't say this is too surprising, as Filatov has the potential to be a tremendously gifted scorer in the league and Umberger is perhaps the most versatile player in the league; capable of playing basically anywhere amongst the top nine forwards. Umberger's skill has made up for gaps in the CBJ offense in the past, and his moving down should allow the 3rd line to play a more offensive game, or at least a balanced one instead of strictly acting as a defensive shutdown line.