Over the course of 73 games in the 2014-15 season, the Blue Jackets have averaged six players out of the lineup per game due to injury. And while fans note the absence of a player on the ice, being hurt often also means being absent from team practices, trips and meetings.
For a player, a return to health means not only a return to play, but also a return to the team as a unit - and that's something the players consider valuable.
"There can be a bit of separation at times (when you're injured)," Blue Jackets forward Mark Letestu said. "People might think it's unfair but that's the reality of it. There's a lot of focus that goes into winning hockey games and when you're injured you're not a part of that."
Letestu, who missed 28 games this season due to a groin injury, is one of 16 current Jackets who has battled through an injury that cost him at least three games out of the lineup. He said a player has to rely on connections with the team outside of the arena to respect the needs of the players who are playing.
"Most of the time the focus of the coaches and folks in the room here is on the game," Letestu said. "When you're injured your obviously not a part of that, so you try and get your treatments either before or after the main groups here. A lot of the interaction in the locker room is not there unless it practice day."
Practice days mean guys are milling about and able to catch up and see one another - but even that connection is disrupted when a team goes out on the road and injured players are likely staying home working on their recovery.
Understanding the separation is what makes returning to the team so special. The two most recent Jackets to return to the lineup were forwards Boone Jenner and Jeremy Morin. Jenner suffered a stress fracture in his back that caused him to miss 40 games; and Morin had an issue with his heart that kept him from playing for 25 games.
Both players worked hard to return to full health and joined their teammates for the Jackets' most recent road trip that included games against Edmonton, Vancouver, and Calgary. Jenner and Morin both played in the final match against Calgary.
"It's my first road trip in a couple months and it's just good to be out with the guys," Jenner said. "It's tough being away from them. When you're not playing, you kind of feel out of it a little bit. To be back I'm pretty excited."
For Morin, who joined the Blue Jackets via trade Dec 14 and played only 17 games with Columbus before his injury, being immersed with the team once again was a big part of his return to play. He appreciated the trip as an opportunity not only to get more comfortable with his teammates but also to get more acclimated with the coaching staff.
"It's nice to get some more time with these guys and feel more comfortable in the room," Morin said. "Being at home it's tough, you see the guys on the road and you just want to be a part of the team again - this has been a fun trip to be around the guys."
Head coach Todd Richards said that for Jenner and Morin, the time on the road with the team prior to both of them rejoining play on the ice was by design.
"That's why we brought them out on the road was specifically for the value of (concentrated time with the team)," Richards said. "They're around the group, they're practicing, we can skate them, we can know what's going on."
The fact that the team won all three of their games on the trip - with contributions from both Morin and Jenner in Calgary - certainly didn't hurt.
"You can see the energy they brought to our lineup in that game," Letestu said. "You can see the happiness for them to be back in the lineup. Everyone in here seems like they've been through (injuries) this year so to see them come back, everyone's pretty happy for them."
Both Jenner and Morin were excited to be back with their teammates and back on the ice. Jenner added an assist in his first game back, and both players were plus-1 in each of the two games they've played since returning.
"To be back with the group, you feel like a hockey player again," Letestu said. "I think that's what's important."
Follow Alison on Twitter at @AlisonL
