Dobber pinch hits for Laidlaw and has thoughts on Winnik, Nyquvist, Andersen, Reinhart and more …

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Columbus has been hammered by injuries and fans and media alike are shocked at just how deep this runs. And it is surprising, but it shouldn’t be overly so. First of all – James Wisniewski and Nathan Horton are on the Board of Directors for the Band-Aid Boy Federation. If the Blue Jackets management want to pretend that they expected Horton to ever play more than 65 games for them, well I’m sure glad they don’t manage my business. And Brandon Dubinsky and Matt Calvert are proud members of the BAB. So really the team is out their top goaltender, plus Nick Foligno, Mark Letestu, Boone Jenner and Artem Anisimov – plus the usual suspects. That’s pretty bad, definitely the worst this season so far for any team. But let’s not go overboard with the whining – you have the usual guys, and then a handful of regulars who are out short term. Foligno was back last night. Calvert is supposedly back today. Both Wisniewski and Bobrovsky are back in another seven to 10 days. So whining is fair, Columbus fans. But not the shock.

The Jackets sure mailed it in Friday though. But they were playing their top unit…and then 15 AHLers. I mean, Collins and Cracknell must have been thinking back in September “Man, the only way I get into the lineup on this team is if, like, six forwards get hurt”.

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In practice Thursday, the Leafs lost Joffrey Lupul. I’ve joked in the past that he’s so injury prone that he could break his hand lacing his skates. Well, almost. He did break his hand, but it was from a fall in practice – he stepped on his stick?

Lately, Lupul had been on a line with Nazem Kadri and Phil Kessel. So coach Carlyle replaced him on that line with checker Daniel Winnik. Winnik has capably subbed in scoring lines before, and he almost always makes an impact the first game or two that he does so. But the inevitably fades as perhaps the adrenalin wears off. There’s a reason he’s on the checking line. So he did it again last night, posting three points and the line combined for eight. I would only pick up Winnik at this point if there were very liberal waiver wire rules in my league. If you have limited transactions or a limiting auction system, I’d pass. Because Winnik will do well for a couple of games, but will slow all too soon.