Columbus Blue Jackets Captain Nick Foligno Out for Regular Season
The captain for the Columbus Blue Jackets will be out for the rest of the regular season and maybe the first round of the playoffs.
Late in the Columbus Blue Jackets loss to the St. Louis Blues, Nick Foligno suffered a lower body injury that will have him on the sidelines for two to four weeks. The captain’s injury comes with just two weeks left in the regular season.
Foligno had been centering the third line flanked by Oliver Bjorkstand and Sonny Milano. The line had been producing points and Foligno even seemed to get the young guys playing some solid defense.
But the team will lose their captain and pivotal center right in crunch time. Thanks to moves made at the trade deadline the Jackets have several options to plug in at center, but all will be a downgrade.
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Early indications point towards Brandon Dubinsky slotting back in at center. The 31-year-old has been playing on the wing and his ice time has been cut drastically recently. He was even a healthy scratch in back-to-back games recently. This move back to center might get his legs moving and may lead to better play.
Timing Issues
The injury to Nick comes at a terrible time. The Columbus Blue Jackets are still fighting for a playoff spot and there are only six games left in the season. The timetable for his return is two to four weeks which means he may or may not be ready for the opening playoff game if the Jackets make it in.
The playoffs are set to begin two and a half weeks into Nick’s recovery. If he is out for all four weeks he could miss the entire first round depending on the length of the series.
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The injury also comes at a bad time for Nick because he is personally playing very well. The captain had six points in his last seven games and was pushing the young scorers on his wings to a new level.
The Jackets are certainly hoping for a quick recover.