Wax ka sii qor faqradan - Laba usbuuc ka hor waqtiga kama dambaysta ah ee isbedelka NHL, Columbus wuxuu ku dhawaaqay in si ka duwan sidii hore xilli ciyaareedkii, ay dhagaysan doonaan soo jeedinta isbeddelka ee ku lug leh Rick Nash, in kasta oo aysan si firfircoon u iibsanaynin. Howson wuxuu sheegay in kooxdu ay u furan tahay dhammaan xulashooyinka hagaajinta kooxda, oo ay ku jiraan ka ganacsiga Nash. Waxaa la rumeysan yahay in Nash ay Blue Jackets ka codsan doonaan "isku darka ciyaartoyda da'da yar, ee la xaqiijiyay, rajada sare iyo xulashada". Ka hor inta aan la gaarin waqtiga kama dambaysta ah ee isweydaarsiga, Jaakadaha Buluugga ah waxay u wareejiyeen Antoine Vermette Phoenix Coyotes laba xulasho oo loo soo qaatay iyo goolhayaha Curtis McElhinney. In kasta oo uu dhaawacmay waqtigaas, iibsiga McElhinney waxaa la rumeysan yahay inuu siinayo Columbus dabacsanaanta si uu ugu ganacsado Curtis Sanford. Maalintii ku xigtay, 23-kii Febraayo, Columbus wuxuu Jeff Carter u beddelay Kings. Heshiiska, Columbus waxay heshay daafaca Jack Johnson iyo wareegga koowaad ee doorashada; kooxda waxaa la siiyay ikhtiyaarka ah inay doortaan midkood 2012
ama sanadka 2013. Waqtiga kama dambaysta ah, Columbus ma awoodin inuu heshiis ka gaaro heshiis ku saabsan Nash, laakiin waxay sameeyeen hal talaabo oo dheeri ah; waxay u direen xarunta Samuel Pahlsson Vancouver Canucks si ay ugu beddelaan laba doorasho oo wareega afaraad ah iyo difaaca horyaalka hoose Taylor Ellington. Kadib waqtiga kama dambaysta ah ee isweydaarsiga, Howson wuxuu ku dhawaaqay in kooxdu isku dayday inay ku iibiso Nash codsi ciyaaryahanka. Nash wuxuu sheegay inuu dalbaday isweydaarsiga kadib markii lagu wargeliyay in xayeysiinta ay ku sii jeeddo marxalad kale oo dib u dhis ah. Wuxuu intaa ku daray inuu dareemay inuu "qayb weyn ka qaadan karo taas oo ah inuu keeno hanti", aragtidiisuna tahay "waa waxa ugu fiican kooxda, ururka, iyo shaqsi ahaan shaqadiisa". Kadib isbadalkii shaqaalaha, Blue Jackets ayaa bishii ku soo gabagabeeyay seddex kulan oo guuldaro ah.