Defenseman Mike Commodore drives the biggest vehicle in the Blue Jackets' parking lot.

It's a Ford Super Duty F-250 Lariat, a beast of a machine that sits aboard tires the size of Ferris wheels.

The truck is large and unmistakable, like its owner. This season, however, Commodore concedes that he and his ride share other characteristics.

"I'm like a diesel truck out there (on the ice)," he said. "Once I get going I'm good, but getting up to speed takes time, and having to turn has been a struggle."

Nineteen games into a challenging season, Commodore remains bothered by mobility issues, the result, he says, of multiple minor injuries and the wrong offseason training methods.

The good news is that coach Ken Hitchcock and his staff sees other parts of Commodore's game returning to form, particularly from a competitive aspect.

The bad news: Commodore, never a swift skater, still harbors concerns about keeping pace with the game.

"I'm a work in progress, what can I say?" Commodore said.

A season ago, Commodore was one of the city's most engaging newcomers, a colorful player who contributed unexpected offense and leadership while combining with Jan Hejda to form the Jackets shutdown pairing.

Commodore said lifestyle issues that hindered his early pro years were not affecting his play.

"I can see how people might assume the worst," said Commodore, a 30-year-old bachelor. "I have been very open about everything, and trust me, there are no off-ice problems."

He arrived at training camp five pounds heavier, after working out with teammate Jake Voracek in Los Angeles over the summer. But an emphasis on strength training instead of speed training adversely affected his game, Commodore said.

He was further slowed by a groin pull, a charley horse and the flu. His conditioning level was so poor in early November that Hitchcock sat him out two games.

"I had a pretty good year last season (24 points, plus-11 rating), at least for the first three-quarters of it," Commodore said. "That's what people were expecting this year, and right now I'm not there. But I'm trying."

Hitchcock said Commodore has been more emotionally engaged in the past few games. Perhaps the best example was his first-period fight with Colorado's David Koci last Saturday.

"I don't do a whole lot of it, and I'm not great at it, but to be honest with you it felt good," he said. "When things aren't going well team-wise and for an individual like myself, I'm a big believer in getting in a fight. You feel better about yourself."

The Jackets need to get their top defensemen -- Commodore, Hejda and Fedor Tyutin -- playing to last season's levels. It has been 10 weeks of fits and starts for all three, especially Commodore.

"Mike was the guardian of the team last season, a player who played heavy minutes and was responsible for the competitive environment in the room," Hitchcock said. "I see him starting to get his edge back."

Commodore, an alternate captain, hasn't been as vocal because it's difficult to lead while in the process of finding his own way. He feels better physically, however, and is ready to tighten up his game.

"I'm giving guys too much space because I worry about not being able to recover," Commodore said. "Now, I've got to start playing, start challenging guys, taking away time and space."

treed@dispatch.com