The Columbus Blue Jackets have a week to get healthy before the playoffs as an illness is making its way through the team.
Nothing is yet set in stone for the Columbus Blue Jackets and their postseason fate with just three games remaining. While the outlook is optimistic, now is not the time for a bug to be making its way through the team.
But according to coach John Tortorella that is happening and it has several players sidelined. At todays open practice a mountain of players were not present due to illness and needed maintenance days.
Among the missing were Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Ryan Murray, and Thomas Vanek. This is on top of the list of players we know are dealing with injuries. Those include Nick Foligno, Markus Nutivaara, Lukas Sedlak and Josh Anderson.
More from Union and Blue
- Blaming Columbus Blue Jacket Players for Babcock Fallout is Unfair
- The Mike Babcock Experiment in Columbus Has Failed
- Blue Jacket Prospects Win Traverse City Tournament: Who Stood Out?
- Mike Babcock Resigns as CBJ Head Coach: Reaction
- New Claims Bring Higher Level of Concern to Babcock Situation
The Columbus Blue Jackets lines today resembled an AHL squad more than an NHL roster with most of the healthy scratches drawing into the lineup. That even included defenseman Taylor Chorney playing forward alongside Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson.
Now is certainly not ideal for this many guys to be missing practice but they still have three games in six days to get two points. That will seal their place in the playoffs for back-to-back appearances for the first time in history.
That won’t be an easy task to do with so many guys nicked up, but its doable and you’d rather the bug run through the team this week than next week.
Nutivaara Update
Torts said after practice that Nutivaara is day-to-day and will not be in the lineup against the Red Wings. Listed as an upper body injury, Nuti has been out since the sustaining the injury against the Vancouver Canucks.
It didn’t seem too serious of an injury but with how well the Murray-Nutivaara pair has been playing, it’s not worth rushing Nuti back and having him injured again. That would lead the Jackets having to play Jack Johnson in that spot and that’s not an ideal scenario for anyone.
Torts says Nutivaara is out with an injury. He did not commit to Jack Johnson when asked if Johnson would be reinserted into the lineup. #CBJ
— Tom Reed (@treed1919) April 2, 2018
Torts didn’t say that Johnson would fill in for Nuti tomorrow against Detroit. That leaves the door open for Dean Kukan or perhaps Scott Harrington or Taylor Chorney filling in.
Next: Ranking Possible CBJ Playoff Opponents
Time for the boys in union blue to take their medicine and get some rest before their final three games. Torts should be careful to play anyone and ensure the full arsenal of Jackets skaters are available come playoff time.