He had to search for a silver lining last summer after failing to land the first-line center he so desperately wanted.
Still it seemed Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson could have come up with a little better rationalization than just giving one of his highly touted rookies a better shot at sticking around.
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| Derick Brassard has posted points in all but three games this season. (Getty Images) |
Back then the Jackets brass hoped so. Brassard was still just a 21-year-old kid who hadn't quite filled out his frame when he arrived with some question marks at training camp in September, only two years removed from being the sixth overall pick in the draft. But the smooth-skating pivot had spent the summer working out in Columbus with team trainers adding about a dozen pounds of muscle, and he quickly put any doubts aside with his impressive play in preseason games.
"We needed him to make the team -- that was the first thing -- but we also knew there was a hole there that we needed filled and we wanted him to fill it," said Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock. "He's done that."
That may come as a bit of a surprise to those who tend to overlook the goings on in Columbus because Brassard certainly didn't have very much hype when the season began. At least not the kind that came anywhere near rivaling the top freshmen in this year's class: players like Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos, Phoenix's Kyle Turris, Toronto's Luke Schenn and Drew Doughty of Los Angeles.
In part, that was because Brassard didn't make the jump to the NHL right away. He returned to the junior ranks after being drafted in 2006 and then missed most of the following season with a shoulder injury, and then was sent to the AHL last year after playing 17 games with the Jackets when he managed just two points and had less than 10 minutes of ice time most nights
There was a suspicion in the organization that a broken jaw he suffered early last season had a bigger impact than anyone realized, a notion Brassard dismissed.
"I don't want to make excuses, I think they made a good decision sending me down to Syracuse because I learned a lot and it made me a better player," Brassard said. "For me as a young player to play in the NHL, the most important thing is a matter of confidence in the way you feel."
Brassard got that with a standout effort in the AHL playoffs that capped off a fine overall season in the minors. It created a fair amount of organizational excitement about him, although Brassard was forced to share some of the newcomer spotlight at camp in Columbus because other prized rookies Jakub Voracek and Nikita Filitov were around.
"I think it was good for all of us to be there together," Brassard said. "It took some of the pressure off each of us."
Obviously, since Brassard adapted well enough to become the NHL rookie of the month for October. He outscored all first-year players in the opening month, and currently leads the Blue Jackets with 19 points, while currently riding a five-game point streak. In fact Brassard has only been kept off the scoring sheet in three games so far.
Moreover, Brassard has become the quarterback of the team's power play, and after starting the season on the second line between Voracek and Jason Chimera, he has been moved up to the anchor the Blue Jackets top line. In a strange way, Brassard's ability to earn so much ice time so quickly has created some concern for Hitchcock. "I think sometimes it's a little bit unfair for younger players to play that role because over time they get exposed to other teams top pair of defensemen, who are you know bigger guys, and they get the other top teams centers over time," Hitchcock said. "That's what happens when you aren't under the radar any more.
"There's no question he was at the start of the season, but he definitely has everyone's attention now. I'm seeing it because other teams are changing on the fly to play against his line. He goes against really good players every night."
One reason is that Brassard has found a comfort zone between wingers Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius. The unit has been the best and most consistent for the Jackets of late as they try to hang around the .500 mark and vie for their first playoff appearance ever. Brassard is doing his part and in the process putting himself in contention for the rookie of the year award, something few people would have considered him for only a couple of months ago.
"I guess that would be nice, but the only thing I think about it is helping this team get to the playoffs," Brassard said. "I want to make a difference."
