Follow @RobMixer Tweet
Let us all catch our breath, re-charge and enjoy a fun weekend ahead in Ottawa at the 2012 NHL All-Star Game. Then, a few days later, we get set for the unofficial second half of the NHL season. For the Blue Jackets, it has been an eventful first half of the season, but we’re starting to see glimpses of improved hockey and a lot of credit goes to interim head coach Todd Richards for, as he put it, “restoring some joy” to the locker room.

So far this season, we have seen the hard work and tireless preparation of a true professional be rewarded with a starting goaltender role in the NHL once again. We’ve seen a future franchise center grow into his skates and show he can be an impact player at this level, and the players recalled from Springfield (AHL) have shown us that the organizational pipeline contains kids who can make a difference. That’s what every team strives for.

Read more for my five pleasant surprises of the first half.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at my five “pleasant surprises” this NHL season, and they are in no particular order from 1-to-5.

1. RYAN JOHANSEN: He’s only 19 years old and you wouldn’t know by speaking to him – the kid has a great head on his shoulders and is always one of the last skaters off the ice after practice. He’s working on his skating, his shooting and passing every single day, and he earned his way into the NHL out of training camp this season. He has displayed a versatile game in which he can thrive either at center or on the wings, and in he’s already tallied a multi-goal game in his rookie year (Nov. 12 vs. Winnipeg). He will be representing the Blue Jackets at the All-Star Game this weekend in Ottawa, and I’m sure he will have a good time.

2. JOHN MOORE: Just a year ago, he was called up from the minors and got sporadic playing time in the middle of the season. One year later, it shows what a productive offseason he had. Moore has become a top-four defenseman in the NHL and is starting to put all the elements of his well-rounded game together. I thought his game in Detroit last weekend was one of the best of his young career, and he nearly won the game late in the third period when he joined an odd-man rush. When the Blue Jackets went down to five defensemen in that game, Moore stepped up and logged 24:32 while playing against the likes of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. This is just the first step for the kid, but I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of what he can do in the coming months.

3. CURTIS SANFORD: What a journey for this guy. He was a 1A/1B goaltender in the American Hockey League for the past two years and fought for a chance to return to the NHL, only to see younger kids get called up instead. I remember watching Sanford as a member of the St. Louis Blues back in 2007 during a game at Nationwide Arena – he made some big saves down the stretch to enable the Blues to get to overtime, but the Blue Jackets eventually won in the shootout. Many had him pegged as the No. 3 goalie for the Blue Jackets this season, but due to unfortunate injuries in goal, he seized an opportunity to get back to the NHL. He hasn’t just shown up, either – his eight wins are tops among CBJ goaltenders and he’s been a dynamic force in several of the team’s wins so far. His finest performance may have been his first – a 2-1 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins back on Nov. 17 that catalyzed a 15-game stretch of solid play.

4. DEREK DORSETT: This has been one of the most intriguing developments of the year, and one I couldn’t be more pleased to include in the list. Dorsett could have been content to play out his NHL career in the “agitator” role and be the guy who gets under opponents’ skin every night and pick a fight every so often – but he wanted more than that. He’s become a go-to player in every situation for both coaching regimes this year, and Todd Richards has shown no hesitancy to give him a heap of ice time. For my money, he’s the Blue Jackets’ best penalty killer and one of those players you need to have in order to win games. It’s a thankless job he takes on every night, and he’s one of the best at his craft in the entire NHL.

5. VINNY PROSPAL: Vinny’s been a breath of fresh air this year, always willing to talk about the game and how thankful he is to be a part of the NHL for so many years. Not only is he a great guy to talk to, but he’s been productive on the scoresheet, too. He led the team in scoring for much of the season until Rick Nash’s latest hot streak has overtaken him, but Prospal is a leader on and off the ice in more ways than just veteran experience. He knows what it takes to be a professional and the younger guys in the room have a shining example of a player to look up to. It was a great honor to be present for his 1,000th NHL game on Dec. 17 against his former club, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Thanks to all the fans who voiced their input via email and Twitter for this blog. Send me feedback – let me know what you think and who your surprises are. Blue Jackets fans have been absolutely tremendous this year and Nationwide Arena is still one of the best places to watch a hockey game. Here’s to a great second half of the season!