Hector Urcia – Inside The Rink
The Columbus Blue Jackets visit the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena on Sunday, October 18, 2026, with puck drop set for 6:00 PM EDT.
Matchup: Columbus Blue Jackets (3-3-0, 6 points in 2026-27) at Minnesota Wild (5-2-1, 11 points in 2026-27)
Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026
Puck drop: 6:00 PM EDT (5:00 PM CDT local)
Venue: Grand Casino Arena
How to watch: MIN: MINNHL, Wild+, SN+, TVAS · CBJ: CBJNHL, CBJHN
Purchase tickets via Ticketmaster
Columbus Blue Jackets News & Notes
Columbus dropped its first meeting with Florida 7-3 at Nationwide Arena on Oct. 13, undone by the Tkachuk brothers. Brady Tkachuk scored a natural hat trick with Matthew assisting on all three goals, the first time that has happened in NHL history, and Matthew finished with five assists. The Panthers also scored four straight power-play goals spanning the second and third periods. The clubs meet again in Columbus on Nov. 10 in the second of three scheduled games.
The inconsistency has been a running theme. Columbus looked slow and confused in a one-sided home loss to Utah, surrendering three of four goals while shorthanded, and head coach Rick Bowness cancelled days off in favor of practice. Five days of work did not settle things: a shootout win over Pittsburgh was followed by a Saturday collapse against St. Louis. The power play has fallen out of sync against high-tempo pressure, and bad penalties and too-many-men calls have continued from last season.
Minnesota Wild News & Notes
Minnesota dropped a 5-2 decision to the Jets at Canada Life Centre on Oct. 13, the second half of a back-to-back that followed a win over Vegas in which the Wild scored three times in the first period and ended the Golden Knights’ four-game winning streak. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice in Winnipeg, the second on a Quinn Hughes point shot that tied the game 2-2. The Wild managed three shots in the second period and did not score again.
The roster has been in flux. Minnesota recalled forward Justin Kirkland from Iowa on Oct. 13, then reassigned him two days later when defenseman Carson Lambos was brought up. Earlier in the month the club placed a veteran forward on injured reserve and called up a rookie for his NHL debut. Coach John Hynes has provided updates on Brock Faber, with the team’s injury list reaching seven players, and Jared Spurgeon is among those dealing with an upper-body issue.
Columbus Blue Jackets Projected Lines
Line 1: Matthew Knies – Adam Fantilli – Kent Johnson
Line 2: Valeri Nichushkin – Sean Monahan – Conor Garland
Line 3: Cole Sillinger – Charlie Coyle – Mathieu Olivier
Line 4: Danton Heinen – Luca Del Bel Belluz – Ryan Lomberg
Pair 1: Zach Werenski – Damon Severson
Pair 2: Jake Christiansen – Denton Mateychuk
Pair 3: Emil Andrae – Erik Gudbranson
Goaltenders: Jet Greaves – Cam Talbot
Columbus Blue Jackets Special Teams
Power play, First unit: Matthew Knies – Charlie Coyle – Adam Fantilli – Kent Johnson – Zach Werenski
Power play, Second unit: Conor Garland – Cole Sillinger – Valeri Nichushkin – Denton Mateychuk – Sean Monahan
Penalty kill, First unit: Charlie Coyle – Danton Heinen – Emil Andrae – Erik Gudbranson
Penalty kill, Second unit: Sean Monahan – Valeri Nichushkin – Zach Werenski – Damon Severson
Minnesota Wild Projected Lines
Line 1: Kirill Kaprizov – Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy
Line 2: Blake Coleman – Ryan Hartman – Bobby Brink
Line 3: Yakov Trenin – Danila Yurov – Maxim Shabanov
Line 4: Rieger Lorenz – Michael McCarron – Tyler Pitlick
Pair 1: Quinn Hughes – Jonas Brodin
Pair 2: Daemon Hunt – Zach Bogosian
Pair 3: Matt Kiersted – David Spacek
Goaltenders: Jesper Wallstedt – Calvin Pickard
Minnesota Wild Special Teams
Power play, First unit: Maxim Shabanov – Joel Eriksson Ek – Kirill Kaprizov – Quinn Hughes – Matt Boldy
Power play, Second unit: Blake Coleman – Ryan Hartman – Danila Yurov – Bobby Brink – David Spacek
Penalty kill, First unit: Michael McCarron – Blake Coleman – Jonas Brodin – Zach Bogosian
Penalty kill, Second unit: Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy – Matt Kiersted – Daemon Hunt
Players To Watch
Damon Severson — Columbus Blue Jackets
Box Score Junkie has Severson driving play harder than anyone else in Columbus this season, with a 58.5% Corsi-for and 60.5% Fenwick across 70 minutes in 2026-27, plus 74.1 shot attempts for per 60. He already has a goal on 0.4 expected, and 2.8 high-danger xG with him out there.
Matt Boldy — Minnesota Wild
Boldy piled up 3G 1A on eight shots in 24:51 last time out, and the underlying work backs it: Box Score Junkie lists a 61.2% Corsi-for and 72.2 shot attempts per 60 in 2026-27, with five goals on 4.6 expected. With that volume, a shots-on-goal over is the obvious angle.
Injury Report
Columbus Blue Jackets: no report available.
Minnesota Wild
Olli Maatta (D) — Out, Upper Body, expected back Tuesday, October 20
Jared Spurgeon (D) — Out, Upper Body, expected back Thursday, October 22
Nico Sturm (C) — Injured Reserve, Concussion, expected back Tuesday, October 20
Marcus Foligno (LW) — Injured Reserve, Lower Body, expected back Tuesday, October 20
Filip Gustavsson (G) — Injured Reserve, Hip, expected back Sunday, November 1
Nick Foligno (LW) — Injured Reserve, Upper Body, expected back Sunday, October 18
Brock Faber (D) — Injured Reserve, Skull, expected back Tuesday, November 3
Next Up
Columbus Blue Jackets: host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, October 20.
Minnesota Wild: visit the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, October 20.