In some ways, little has changed for Edmonton forward Gilbert Brule since the Blue Jackets traded him in the summer of 2008.

Brule still spends each March out of the playoff picture. The poor kid somehow got himself jettisoned to one of the few franchises more inept than the Jackets this season.

In other ways, however, much is different for the No. 6 overall pick in the 2005 NHL draft. The diminutive winger has filled out where it matters most, on the score sheet.

Brule returns to Nationwide Arena tonight as the Oilers' third-leading scorer, putting up career-high numbers in goals (15), assists (17) and points (32).

"I'm playing with more confidence," Brule said. "Obviously, putting the puck in the back of the net boosts that confidence. I have 15 goals, and I would still love to finish with 20 goals."

Brule's improvement and the conversation it engenders supply what little intrigue surrounds a matchup of the Western Conference's two worst teams.

The Oilers have a 23-year-old starting to find his game while the Jackets recently dealt Raffi Torres, the player they received for Brule, to Buffalo. The Sabres sent a 2010 second-round draft pick and journeyman Nathan Paetsch to the Jackets for Torres.

Torres provided 31 goals and plenty of grit over parts of two seasons. Some fans remain miffed by management's decision to deal Torres rather than re-sign the unrestricted free agent.

Brule's development doesn't help matters.

"It's always nice to come back," said Brule, who had 11 goals and 20 assists in 146 games with the Jackets. "You always want to play well against your former team and show them what they had."

Brule, an Edmonton native, is one of four first-round draft picks Columbus has traded.

Forward Nikolai Zherdev is in Russia, goaltender Pascal Leclaire rides the bench in Ottawa and forward Alexandre Picard remains in the minors with Phoenix. Brule is the first-round castoff with the most potential to haunt the Jackets.

Brule is enjoying a breakout season despite averaging only 14 minutes, 14 seconds of ice time, eighth among Oilers forwards.

He rarely plays on the power play and doesn't get an opportunity to kill penalties, where his speed might translate into a breakaway.

As Brule works to earn the coaching staff's trust, he is winning praise for his effort. Oilers associate coach Tom Renney said Brule is learning from his mistakes, something a young player can do on a team that's been a playoff afterthought since January.

"He's had an opportunity to establish himself and showcase what you can do," Renney said. "He's also had a chance to step on a banana peel and stay in the lineup and learn. Now it's about maintaining consistency and elevating the level where he is now. He's a very coachable player."

Brule recently has been elevated to the Oilers' top line, such as it is, playing with Dustin Penner and Andrew Cogliano. The Oilers own the NHL's worst record and likely will end up with one of the draft's top two prospects, Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin.

"The last four years of my career have been spent on teams that aren't doing too well. I'm sick of losing," Brule said. "The biggest difference is I'm playing more and having a bigger impact on the team."

Mason stays in goal

Jackets interim coach Claude Noel plans to start goaltender Steve Mason again tonight. Mason allowed four goals in a 5-1 loss to St. Louis on Saturday. Mathieu Garon has won his previous two starts.

"We want to have guys feeling good about their game," Noel said of Mason, who has lost five straight after winning the previous three games.

One in, one out

Jackets forward Kristian Huselius (hand) is expected to return to the lineup tonight. The news isn't as encouraging for captain Rick Nash (lower body). Nash, who has missed three straight games, is not only nursing injuries, but also battling the stomach flu. He is doubtful for tonight's game.

Practice time

The Jackets held an optional practice yesterday. Only six skaters and two goaltenders participated. Noel said the team is still fighting fatigue from its recent West Coast trip. The Oilers, meanwhile, conducted a full practice.

treed@dispatch.com