COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Blue Jackets activated left wing Matt Calvert off Injured Reserve this morning and will welcome him back into the lineup tonight against the New Jersey Devils.
Calvert has missed the last 15 games due to a concussion, accumulating 10 goals and 9 assists for 19 points in 49 games this season. Center Alex Wennberg will also be in the lineup after missing the last the last four games with an infected right hand.
"It's big," Letestu said of getting Calvert back in the lineup. "He brings a lot of energy and brings the emotional side to the game, playing with an edge. But right now, he's got to fall in line here, too. We're a hot team. He's coming into the lineup where it's been going pretty well."
The Blue Jackets are riding a six-game winning streak heading into tonight's tilt with the Devils, with their last home win coming last week against the Anaheim Ducks 5-3. New Jersey, eliminated from post-season play, has a tradition of playing a plodding game while clogging the neutral zone.
Calvert will skate on the fourth line centered by Mark Letestu and Jeremy Morin on the opposite wing. This creates a potent forward line of speed and offensive-upside.
"It's a little more offensive," said Letestu of what his line will bring to the game, "than what we've been putting out there. As for the physicality, we're not all big guys, but we play hard. There's definitely speed and energy and I think we can obviously build momentum for the team in different ways than we have in the past."
Wennberg will be back between Scott Hartnell and Marko Dano, hoping the chemistry picks up right where it left off four games ago.
"The last couple of days it's been getting better and better," Wennberg said of his right hand. "I feel ready to play."
The line of Hartnell, Wennberg and Dano has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal season. They play a hard-nosed, yet fluid game with Wennberg as the playmaker. Hartnell and Dano have both proven they're not afraid to go to the hard areas around the net for the opportunity to score.
"I miss those guys," Wennberg said of his linemates. "It's good to be back. When you're sitting and watching the guys playing, you really want to be on the ice with them. It's a great feeling to be back."
Although the team is not completely healthy, this is likely the closest they've been all season. And with the return of players to the lineup, decisions have to be made about who plays and who sits. Will a fourth line of Calvert, Letestu and Morin find success and provide energy to the team?
"Getting Calvi (Matt Calvert) back," said Todd Richards of what to expect from the fourth line, "I think he'll have some good jump and some good speed. I think with Mark in the middle, he's a really responsible center, I think you have two wings now that can skate with good speed. And there's the ability to make some plays and create some offense."
The team is having fun and is excited to have both Calvert and Wennberg back in the lineup. Finishing on a positive note is the name of the game for these guys and it continues tonight.
Blue Jackets (projected) lineup
Forwards: Jenner / Johansen / Atkinson
Anisimov / Dubinsky / Foligno
Hartnell / Wennberg / Dano
Calvert / Letestu / Morin
Defense: Johnson / Savard
Tyutin / Prout
Connauton / Goloubef
Goal: Bobrovsky with McElhinney as backup
Scratches: Tropp, Falk, Boll (suspension), Clarkson (injury), Bourque (injury), Murray (injury)
The FOX Sports Ohio pregame show "Blue Jackets LIVE" begins at 6:30 p.m., with the game between the Blue Jackets and Devils airing at 7:00 p.m.
