This is not the start the Columbus Blue Jackets envisioned. A public contract squabble with the team's star player during the preseason, a litany of injuries to some of the team's key contributors, and now, a nine-game winless streak that matches the franchise record.

Basically, the only thing the Blue Jackets have yet to encounter is a case of the mumps.

"Knock on wood," said a weary-sounding Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards.

But, as irony would have it, the one player many would have suspected to be a step behind, or perhaps more susceptible to injury having missed training camp during protracted contract negotiations, has been a bright spot for a beleaguered team that is searching for its first win in weeks against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday.

Ryan Johansen, 22, Columbus’ top-line center, is leading the injury-ravaged Blue Jackets with more than a point per game in production, with six goals and 10 assists in 15 games this season for the Blue Jackets.

The former first-round draft pick, who inked a three-year, $12 million deal in October to end a lengthy contract standoff in time for the regular season, is also shouldering a heavy workload with so many of the team's other top forwards -- Boone Jenner, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Mark Letestu, Matt Calvert and Nathan Horton -- having been injured at points throughout the first month of the season.

Johansen, who is now playing on a line with Nick Foligno and Brian Gibbons, is second among Columbus' forwards, averaging 19:32 per game, up significantly from his 17:38 last season while pacing the Blue Jackets in scoring.

"He has the potential to be a real driving force of this team, the leader both vocally and leading out on the ice," Richards told ESPN.com. "The talent he possesses demands ice time, and ice time gives you a chance to lead. ... There's more responsibility that goes with that position. When you're thrust into that position, there's also expectation."

Johansen relishes that opportunity and wants to help set the Blue Jackets in the other direction.

Though many preseason predictions had the Blue Jackets building upon last season's thrilling playoff appearances, the team has instead plummeted in the standings (to 29th, just one point ahead of the lowly Buffalo Sabres) and hit just about every injury rung during the descent.

"We're obviously a little behind the eight ball, not exactly where we want to be," Johansen told ESPN.com. "Facing adversity with all injuries or not, we're not the only team it happens to. We have to find ways to battle through it. It's not an easy thing to do, but we have to come together to find a way to win."

Johansen is right. The Blue Jackets are unlikely to garner sympathy from any of their NHL foes. But the laundry list of ailments hampering the team does seem uncanny. Every time the Blue Jackets got a player back, it seemed like two more went down. Defenseman Jack Johnson missed three games at an inopportune time because of a suspension. Horton is reportedly facing a career-threatening back condition. But the team's most costly injury? To starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, the 2013 Vezina Trophy winner, arguably the one player besides Johansen the Blue Jackets could not afford to lose.

Ryan Johansen and the Blue Jackets have taken their lumps this season. James Guillory/USA TODAY Sports

Bobrovsky, who remains on injured reserve with a hand injury, has not played since Oct. 26 and is not expected to be in the lineup on Friday.

The Blue Jackets, carrying goaltenders Curtis McElhinney and Anton Forsberg, are currently dead last in the league in goals-against, surrendering 3.67 goals per game.

The drop-off in play between the pipes has been significant.

"It's a huge step down," said one NHL goaltending coach. "Anytime you have a dominant goalie like Bobrovsky out, it's going to hurt your team."

Knowing his own value, Johansen did as much as he possibly could to remain in peak physical condition heading into the season so he wouldn't miss a beat once he rejoined his team.

With his contract status in limbo, he worked out and skated with a local junior team and college team back home in Vancouver, alongside Dallas Stars defenseman Brenden Dillon, another restricted free agent who was going through a similar situation.

The two players, who battled against each other while playing in the Western Hockey League, pushed each other on and off the ice, often gathering for lunch afterward and rehashing developments relayed from their respective agents.

"It was one of those things where it was nice to have each other to lean on," Dillon told ESPN.com. "It was a position that none of us wanted to be in and we expressed that strongly to each other -- 'Man, this sucks' or 'I wish it was over' but ... I think it was a good learning process for both of us, even for the mental side of things, to have to stay mentally tough."

Now, Johansen's mental toughness is being tested again, along with his entire team. Richards will find out whom he can truly lean on for leadership in times of adversity and whom he cannot.

"You learn a lot about people in tough situations and the situation we're in is certainly not an easy one," Richards said. "It's how they respond to it, how they play, how they act, how they lead dealing with some adverse conditions. As young players, we can learn a lot from [adversity], as far as growth and dealing with it down the road."

Oddly enough, Johansen said he feels the team's most recent defeat, a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, was actually the club's best team game in quite some time.

He hopes that's a sign of good things to come for the Blue Jackets in a big weekend set with back-to-back games against the Flyers and San Jose Sharks.

"It's an opportunity for us and for me to take a big leadership role," Johansen said. "I try to take a big part in helping this team win. I'm not playing the way I wanted to right now, but I'm trying to get to that level. For myself individually and for the team this weekend is a couple of huge games."