. "He knows that his legs are a little tight but he wants to be on the field." The Bl | Forum

The Columbus Blue Jackets made a big move in free agency, committing to a long-term deal for a power forward who is about to undergo shoulder surgery. Discount Jerseys . Numbers Game looks at Columbus signing of Nathan Horton. The Blue Jackets Get: RW Nathan Horton. Horton, 28, has been a part of one of hockeys better trios in Boston, playing with Milan Lucic and David Krejci. While they havent been as consistent as some other high-powered lines, they have been crucial to the Bruins run to the Cup Final twice in the last three seasons. In Hortons case, he had 36 points and a plus-31 ranking in 43 playoff games during the 2011 and 2013 playoffs, has had strong puck possession over the last three years and his 2.65 shots per game last season matched his previous career-best. Those were high points, however, and Horton has endured a number of challenges in recent seasons. Horton was a blossoming power forward who could score and scrap, if need be, but a concussion caused him to miss 36 regular season and seven playoff games in 2011-2012 and that, coupled with a chronic shoulder problem, may have taken away some of the bite in his game (22 penalty minutes in 43 games in 2013 was a career-low PIM rate). Going to Columbus will present challenges for Horton, not least of which is finding linemates with whom he will have the same chemistry that he did with Krejci and Lucic. Hortons shoulder surgery should leave him out for four-to-six months, so he could miss half of next season while he recovers. If he returns to the lineup prepared to take a leadership role, go to the hard areas to score and bang bodies, then Horton can be a valuable addition. The concern anyone will have is the term which the Blue Jackets have committed. Seven years and $37.1-million (a $5.3-million cap hit) is a major investment in a player whose scoring rates last season (0.30 gpg and 0.51 ppg) were his lowest since his rookie year. Hortons young enough that he could be a productive scorer for the majority of the deal, but thats going to depend on who the Blue Jackets end up playing him with, because Horton doesnt carry the puck a lot; he does some, and he can dangle, but his game is predicated on being a big body forward who can go to the net and score from in close. If the Blue Jackets have a playmaker that can get Horton the puck in position to score, he very well could be a 25-to-30-goal scorer and if a healthy Horton is more a more physical presence, all the better. Surely part of the Blue Jackets reason to sign Horton so seven years is that it helped make the salary cap hit more palatable, but a healthy Horton scoring goals will be what provides value to Columbus. A team that ranked 25th in goals last season (2.40 per game) made a move to help address that shortcoming. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. Cheap NFL Jerseys Fast Shipping . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. http://www.cheapjerseysnflfreeshipping.com/ . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win.TORONTO - Sergio Santos, whose availability to the Blue Jays has been a rarity since he was acquired from the White Sox in December, 2011, will undergo elbow surgery this week. The club is calling it a "minor" procedure to clean out "loose bodies" and shave down bone spurs. Santos is expected to miss another six weeks. "Its something that a lot of players have; they have loose bodies in their elbow; a lot of players have bone spurs in their elbow," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "You only really take them out of shave them down if theres any type of discomfort." Santos last pitched for the Blue Jays on April 13 in Kansas City. Days later he was placed on the disabled list with a triceps strain. An MRI taken at the time showed the fragments in his elbow. He made two appearances in extended spring training, one each on Thursday and Saturday. Santos reported discomfort after the Saturday outing, prompting the decision to have surgery. Provided the procedure goes according to plan, its expected Santos will be able to begin throwing within a week. "It was something we were going to have done in the offseason," said Anthopoulos. "Because hes a one inning reliever, six weeks, up in Toronto, he could be back at that time." In five appearances this season, Santos is 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA. He has appeared in only 11 games in a Blue Jays uniform since the beginning of last year. BRANDON MORROW RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY Brandon Morrow, who last pitched on May 5 against Seattle, is ready to return from a back strain. Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Store. . It just wont be on Wednesday, as previously thought. "It was not my decision to do that," said Morrow. "Theyre being extra cautious, taking the extra couple of days. It also allows me to get a full bullpen in (Wednesday) at a higher intensity than I threw last time." Theres also the matter of Saturdays opponent: New York at Yankee Stadium. Manager John Gibbons has the best of his healthy pitchers prepared to start in that series. Mark Buehrle will pitch on Friday, Morrow on Saturday and on Sunday itll be knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Veteran Ramon Ortiz, who allowed one run in five innings of work last Friday in Boston, will make Wednesdays start against the Giants. CABRERA TO UNDERGO MRI Melky Cabrera, who went 4-5 in Tuesday nights 10-6 win over the Giants, will undergo an MRI on Wednesday. Cabrera, 28, has been playing with pain in both hamstrings since the end of spring training, noticeable when he runs the bases. His left hamstring is the worse of the two. "Hes going to play, he wanted to play," said third base coach Luis Rivera, translating for Cabrera. "He knows that his legs are a little tight but he wants to be on the field." The Blue Jays hope the imaging helps the club chart a better course of treatment for Cabrera, whos played in every game so far this seas ' ' '