ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Blue Jackets are making only one lineup switch heading into their second game of the season Oct. 11 against the Minnesota Wild.
Other than goalie Elvis Merzlikins making his season debut, everything else stays the same as it did in the Jackets’ 2-1 loss to open the season Oct. 9 in Nashville. Jet Greaves, who started in Nashville, will handle the backup goalie role in Minnesota.
“Three games in five nights, not that one of them couldn’t go (in all three), but we just figured we’d get them both going,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said of his goalies. “Both played really well through preseason and training camp, so they both get an opportunity here early.”
That’s not the case for defenseman Jake Christiansen and forward Yegor Chinakhov, who will sit out as healthy scratches for a second straight game. The Blue Jackets’ success generating scoring chances and possessing the puck in their 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators is the main reason for that, especially with Chinakhov.
There’s simply no spot among the Jackets’ top nine forwards group that Evason wants to change yet, so Chinakhov will continue to wait for an opportunity.
Minnesota Wild’s David Jiricek, Daemon Hunt won’t play vs Columbus Blue Jackets
David Jiricek’s frustration with his lack of ice time with the Blue Jackets last season led to a trade that sent him to the Wild for defenseman Daemon Hunt and a package of draft picks. Well, now they’re both on Minnesota’s NHL roster after Hunt was recently claimed off waivers from the Blue Jackets.
Most teams carry only seven defensemen, so that only one is scratched when the active lineup has three set defensive pairings. The Wild are carrying eight with Jiricek and Hunt in the seventh and eighth spots providing depth.
Jiricek, selected sixth overall by the Blue Jackets in 2022, played 14:01 and finished with a +3 plus/minus in Minnesota’s season-opening win Oct. 9 in St. Louis, but he’s expected to sit against the Blue Jackets to make room for Jonas Brodin’s return. Hunt, who still requires waivers for AHL assignments, will sit for a second straight game.
Here is the Blue Jackets’ expected lineup against the Wild on Oct. 11 at Grand Casino Arena:
Forwards
Dmitri Voronkov – Sean Monahan – Kirill Marchenko
Boone Jenner – Adam Fantilli – Cole Sillinger
Kent Johnson – Charlie Coyle – Mathieu Olivier
Zach Aston-Reese – Isac Lundestrom – Miles Wood
Defensemen
Zach Werenski – Dante Fabbro
Ivan Provorov – Damon Severson
Denton Mateychuk – Erik Gudbranson
Goalies
Elvis Merzlikins
Jet Greaves
Scratched: D Jake Christiansen, F Yegor Chinakhov
Minnesota Wild lineup vs Columbus Blue Jackets
Here is how the Wild are expected to line up against the Blue Jackets on Oct. 11 at Grand Casino Arena:
Forwards
Kirill Kaprizov – Marco Rossi – Matt Boldy
Marcus Foligno – Joel Eriksson Ek – Vladimir Tarasenko
Yakov Trenin – Ryan Hartman – Marcus Johansson
Liam Ohgren – Hunter Haight – Vinnie Hinostroza
Defensemen
Jonas Brodin – Brock Faber
Zeev Buium – Jared Spurgeon
Jacob Middleton – Zach Bogosian
Goalies
Filip Gustavsson
Jesper Wallstedt
Scratched: D David Jiricek, D Daemon Hunt, RW Danila Yurov
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social