Nathan Horton is dealing with conditioning issues after missing the first half of the 2013-14 campaign. Horton was strong in his debut on Jan. 2, but he took a step back in the two games that followed. "To me, that was fully expected, that he'd have a shot of adrenaline right away and then there's going to come a point where it's going to slow down," Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said. He should continue to shake off the rust, but his efforts will make more awkward by the fact that the Olympic break starts in less than a month. While others are playing in the Winter Games, Horton will be back to not playing and that might set him back.