We have reached an important benchmark in the NHL. Wednesday night’s games are the last ones until U.S Thanksgiving, the place in the schedule when most teams have an idea of who they are and what they might need moving forward.
For the Columbus Blue Jackets, they’re home after a four-game road trip that saw them only get three of a possible eight points. They’re coming off a 5-1 clunker against the Washington Capitals, a game that was more about potential injuries than the final score itself.
That’s where we start this edition of Blue Jackets’ News & Rumors. Where do things stand with the injured?
Injury Rundown
The Blue Jackets lost both Mathieu Olivier and Zach Werenski in the game Monday night against the Capitals. Both were unable to return due to upper-body injuries.
Kirill Marchenko didn’t play in the game Monday as he’s dealing with his own injury. He is not playing Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He left the morning skate in Washington on Monday due to this injury. His status is day-to-day.
Kirill Marchenko will miss a second-straight game on Wednesday. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
In the midst of this adversity, the Blue Jackets got some good news. Although Werenski didn’t practice Tuesday, he skated Wednesday morning and deemed himself good to go for the game.
As for Olivier, the news wasn’t as good. He is out of Wednesday night’s game against the Maple Leafs. It is unknown as of this writing what his status is moving forward. The Blue Jackets will have Thursday off for Thanksgiving. They next play on Black Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. We’ll see if Olivier or Marchenko are able to return then.
The Blue Jackets still have captain Boone Jenner and Erik Gudbranson on injured reserve. Both are progressing. GM Don Waddell told The Hockey Writers this week that a more firm timeline on Gudbranson would be determined once they got home from the road trip. It sounds like both aren’t too far away from a potential return although an exact timeline is not known as of yet.
Because of the Olivier and Marchenko injuries, we will have a Blue Jackets’ NHL debut on Wednesday night. Luca Pinelli, former captain of the Ottawa 67s, will make his awaited debut. The Stoney Creek, ON native hopes to become the latest example of a Blue Jacket who enjoys their debut against the team they grew up near.
Pinelli’s recall was on an emergency basis, meaning there was a chance the Blue Jackets would have under 12 forwards. Once some of the injured get healthy, he will return to the Cleveland Monsters where he was off to a good start this season.
Contract Updates
It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything on potential contract extensions for RFA Adam Fantilli and UFA Jenner. Waddell joined the DFO Rundown this week and opened up on that topic.
As of now, there are no active negotiations taking place with either player. However, it was agreed upon that the two sides will connect during the Olympic Break. That time seems to be turning into an important part of the calendar.
With no games happening in the league, that will give teams and players time to connect and see where things stand.
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In both Fantilli and Jenner’s cases, it was agreed upon to table conversations until later. Both sides wanted to see how things played out.
Fantilli again is playing the 1C role and has been on a roll of late. He should get a contract similar to the one Logan Cooley just got in Utah.
Meanwhile, nothing has changed with Jenner. The Blue Jackets would like to keep him. He loves Columbus and is open to staying. It’s just a matter of finding what works for both sides.
For now, we don’t have to wonder if anything is going on now. That will pick up in February while the whole world is focused on Milan.
Side Dishes
Another thing Waddell said on the DFO Rundown that was interesting was his thoughts on the state of the trade market. Teams now want roster players in his mind. He also said on the state of the trade market: “it hasn’t heated up let’s just say that. It’s investigation calls both ways.” With reports of teams making certain players available potentially (e.g. Nashville or Vancouver), there’s always the chance of something developing. Waddell said he’ll lean on his scouts to see if there’s anyone they need to keep their eyes on. They’ll act accordingly based on reports. You can hear the full interview with Waddell here.
For as sporadic as the Blue Jackets have played, they have points in seven of their last nine games (4-2-3 record in that span.) They’ve had six overtime games in their last 10 overall. They’re banking the points. But they’re also letting points slip away too.
Charlie Coyle’s next point will be his 500th point in the NHL. He’s also 27 games away from 1000 in his NHL career. That’ll happen later in January at Nationwide assuming he doesn’t miss any time.
The Blue Jackets have a lot to improve on as any team would. But they are in the playoff race at Thanksgiving. The standings are packed that every point matters. Four other teams entered Wednesday with 25 points along with the Blue Jackets.
Brendan Smith will make his season debut with the Blue Jackets on Wednesday. He was in AHL Cleveland on a PTO but signed a two-way contract for the rest of the season. He is expected to play with Dante Fabbro on the third pair.
