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. 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. Brendan Shanahan Jersey . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. Dylan Larkin Jersey . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. http://www.redwingshockeyauthentic.com/gordie-howe-jersey/ . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. 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The Marlins slugger hit a two-run double in the first inning to end a 10-game RBI drought and help beat the Atlanta Braves 6-2. Stanton had been in a 3-for-26 slump before he gave the Marlins the lead in their four-run first against Paul Maholm. "It put us on top, and we stayed on top the whole game," Stanton said. "It was a good jump start." Stanton was also pleased that he walked in his next three at-bats, laying off tempting pitches that he had been flailing at of late. "They threw some good pitches at me, and I took," he said. "So it was a good day." Placido Polanco added three hits and three RBIs. Jacob Turner (3-1) allowed four hits and two runs in seven innings, and Steve Cishek allowed two singles in the ninth to complete a six-hitter. The Braves won two of three games in the series but missed a chance for their first road sweep since April 12-14 at Washington. "It was a tough day," said Maholm (9-8). "Obviously we would have liked to have gotten the sweep, but we won the series." Miami improved to 3-12 against the Braves at Marlins Park since it opened in 2012. With thousands of youngsters in the stands on camp day, the announced attendance was 23,921 -- the Marlins largest home crowd since April 27. Miami is last in the major leagues in attendance. Atlanta came into the game with a 1.87 ERA this season against the Marlins, but Miami batted around in the first inning. "We needed that," manager Mike Redmond said. "We needed to jump out to a quick start and settle everyone down, especially Jacob, and gives ourselves a little room to breathe." Stanton showed the impact his bat can make with a line drive that reached the wall on one hop for a 2-0 lead. "That ball was a laser beam, and he had great at-bats after that. Thats a great sign," Redmond said. "Hes such a big presence in that lineup. You can see how in situations they start pitching around him, but when he stays in the zone and handles the pitches he knows hes capable of handling, he can dominate a game." Last years NL slugging leader has had a subpar first half of the season, in part because he missed 36 games with a strained rigght hamstring.dddddddddddd Hes batting only .246 with eight homers and 24 RBIs, and the Marlins have the NLs worst record. Stanton has tried to temper his frustration. "Im kind of taking a little different approach," he said. "Before, I would just get furious, but then I feel like Im a bad teammate, and I dont want to have that influence. You can get mad every once in a while, with how much of a failure sport this is, but its how you handle it. Get mad for a few minutes, and then leave it." Stantons double came on a changeup. He scored on a double by Polanco, and Jeff Mathis added a two-out RBI single. "Obviously in the first inning I wasnt in rhythm," Maholm said. "But Stanton is the only one that hit the ball hard, and it wasnt even supposed to be a strike." Maholm gave up no runs after the first but lasted only 4 1-3 innings, throwing 103 pitches. Three times this year he has failed to pitch five innings. Poor base-running hurt Atlanta in the second inning. Dan Uggla doubled home a run, then was thrown out trying to go from second to third when a pitch rolled away from catcher Mathis. B.J. Upton reached first on the play because the pitch was strike three, but he was promptly picked off by Turner. Freddie Freeman, contending for the final spot on the NL All-Star team, doubled in the sixth and scored on Chris Johnsons groundout to make the score 4-2. But thats all the Braves could muster against Turner, who improved to 4-0 in his past six home starts with an ERA of 1.41. Notes: Before the game, Braves C Evan Gattis (strained right oblique) took batting practice for the first time since going on the disabled list June 18. ... Umpire Dan Iassogna began wearing a cast this week on his right forearm after an X-ray revealed a broken wrist. He was hurt working behind the plate at a game June 29, but the severity of the injury wasnt determined until after Mondays Marlins-Braves game, when he was again the plate umpire and he was throwing balls underhand to the pitcher because of the pain. ... The Marlins Adeiny Hechavarria singled in the fifth to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, matching his career high. ... With his first career triple, Turner raised his lifetime batting average from .034 to .067. ... Johnson had two hits and is batting .432 (16 for 37) against the Marlins this year. ' ' '