Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Vhiki mbiri NHL isati yatanga kutengesa, Columbus akazivisa kuti kusiyana nezvakanga zvaitika mumwaka wapfuura, vaizoteerera zvikumbiro zvokutengesa zvaibatanidza Rick Nash, kunyange zvazvo vakanga vasiri kumutenga. Howson akataura kuti chikwata chaive chakavhurika kune zvese zvingasarudzwa zvekuvandudza timu, kusanganisira kutengesa Nash. Kufungidzira kwakanga kuri kwokuti mukutsinhana naNash maBlue Jackets aizokumbira "kusanganiswa kwevatambi vaduku, vakaedzwa, tarisiro dzepamusoro-soro uye zvisarudzo zvokusarudza". Zvichitungamira kumugumo wekutengeserana, maBlue Jackets akatengesa Antoine Vermette kuPhoenix Coyotes nokuda kwekusarudzwa kwemaviri uye muchengeti wepagedhi Curtis McElhinney. Pasinei nokukuvadzwa panguva iyoyo, kuwanikwa kwaMcElhinney kwakatendwa kupa Columbus mukana wekuchinjana Curtis Sanford. Zuva rakatevera racho, musi waFebruary 23, Columbus akatengesa Jeff Carter kuKings. Mukutengeserana, Columbus akawana mudziviriri Jack Johnson uye wokutanga-kutenderera kunyorwa sarudza; chikwata akapiwa kusarudza kutora sarudza kana
2012 kana kuti 2013. Pakupera kwezuva, Columbus akakundikana kusvika pachibvumirano chechibvumirano chaibatanidza Nash, asi vakaita chimwezve chiito; vakatumira pakati Samuel Pahlsson kuVancouver Canucks mukutsinhana maviri echina-kutenderera dhizaini uye mudiki weligi mudziviriri Taylor Ellington. Zvichitevera nguva yekutengesa, Howson akazivisa kuti timu yakaedza kuchinjana Nash pachikumbiro chemutambi. Nash akataura kuti akanga akumbira kutengeserana pashure pokuziviswa kuti kodzero yacho yakanga ichipinda mune imwe nhambo yokuvakazve. Akataurazve kuti ainzwa kuti "aigona kuva rutivi rukuru rwokuunza zvinhu", uye mumaonero ake "chakanga chiri chinhu chakanakisisa nokuda kwechikwata, sangano, uye somunhu oga nokuda kwebasa [rake]". Mushure mekushandurwa kwevashandi, maBlue Jackets akavhara mwedzi uyu nekurasikirwa nemitambo mitatu yakatevedzana.