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Blue Jackets see themselves in the Oilers

Curtis Sanford, Jordan Eberle

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Curtis Sanford makes a glove save against Edmonton Oilers’ Jordan Eberle, right, during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011, in Edmonton, Alberta. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John Ulan)

AP

If you’re the Columbus Blue Jackets and you want to model your team after another, seeing yourself in the image of the Edmonton Oilers probably isn’t all that encouraging. When you’re as bad as the Jackets are these days, however, that’s about the best you’ve got to go on.

Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch sees the sad comparison, however, and while there’s urgency on the Blue Jackets to win now, the Oilers show that tanking out hard at least shows that talent can come from bad situations. Interim head coach Todd Richards speaks on what Edmonton can do.

“They have some great young players who, in a few years, are going to be dominant players in this league,” Blue Jackets interim coach Todd Richards said. “They’re already getting close to that point. They have some veteran players who know how to play and do things the right way.”

Is that something the Blue Jackets can say about themselves? Rick Nash is great and Vinny Prospal has looked good but injuries to Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski have undermined them.

It works that way for the struggling Oilers too. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle being out of action makes life hard for them too, but that’s part of their future. If you can find the prospects for the Jackets to build on, go ahead and let GM Scott Howson know who they are.

If the Jackets opted to take the Oilers route to rebuild, you have to wonder if the Blue Jackets fans that are left would want to stick around for another three years or so to see it pan out.