With the fourth overall pick, the Blue Jackets will make their first selection. Columbus assumed the three players taken before their pick would be LW Taylor Hall, C Tyler Seguin, and D Cam Fowler, in the months leading up to the draft. However, recent information indicates that Florida is interested in using the third overall pick to take D Erik Gudbranson. Blue Jackets are left free to take Fowler.

For the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, Fowler plays defenseman. He excels in moving the puck forward and he is an outstanding skater. Should Columbus take Fowler, he will join current Blue Jacket defensemen Mike Commodore and Jan Hejda to help Columbus’s transition game.

Columbus has seven other selections (including two second round picks), in addition to holding the fourth overall pick. For the draft, Don Boyd, the Blue Jackets director of player personnel, has high hopes. He believes this year’s class is very deep and that his team will have a great chance at striking gold with one of their eight picks. The team is quite popular because of it’s success in NHL match up news.

At center and right wing, the Blue Jackets and their farm system could both use some depth. as far as the draft goes, this will matter very little to Columbus, as they intend on taking the best player available with each pick regardless of position. “You draft the skill and you trade (for) the position,” Boyd said.

The Blue Jackets (12-7-3), who have been one of the NHL’s best teams this season, have dropped two straight heading into action in Montreal.

The Canadiens (11-11-1) are -130 favorites and the over/under total is 5½ in NHL Odds at Sportingbet.

Columbus has a 4-3 edge over the past seven head-to-head matchups. The teams last squared off on Nov. 7 last season, a 4-3 Blue Jackets win as +150 home underdogs.

The Blue Jackets also picked up a win the last time they faced the Habs in Montreal. On Feb. 23, 2008, the Blue Jackets shut out the Canadiens 3-0.

In their last game Monday, Jared Boll had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets in their 7-4 loss to the New York Rangers on Monday night. New York won as -130 home favorites and the score went over the 5.5-goal total.

And Michael Cammalleri scored both goals in the Canadiens’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. The Canadiens were +120 underdogs in that game and the score slipped under the 5.5-goal total.

There is a string under trend in recent meetings, as the total has gone under in four of the past five meetings, both overall and in Montreal.

The Flames are -145 favorites and the over/under total is 5½ in NHL Betting Odds at BookMaker.

Columbus has the edge head-to-head, going 6-3-0-1 over the past 10 meetings. However, Calgary is 5-1 SU in the past six meetings in Calgary.

The teams last squared off just last week, when the Blue Jackets won 2-1 as a -130 home favorite.

Over/under bettors should note that eight of the past 10 overall meetings have gone under the total, and seven of the past 10 meetings in Calgary have gone under.

On Saturday, Steve Mason stopped 27 shots to help the Blue Jackets earn a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, as -140 favorites. The five goals went under the total of 5.5.

The Flames ended a three-game slide by beating the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 on Friday, as -140 home favorites. The eight goals sailed over the  total of 5.5.

Columbus is 5-1-0 this season and Calgary is 5-2-1.