The hits keep coming for the Blue Jackets
, who've added captain Boone Jenner
to a packed injured reserve with a fractured thumb.
Jenner, 29, is scheduled for surgery Tuesday and is expected to miss approximately four weeks. The news was released Monday during the Jackets' morning skate at Nationwide Arena, where they prepared to face the Dallas Stars
to open a back-to-back that concludes Tuesday at the Philadelphia Flyers
.
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Josh Dunne
, a rookie center, was recalled from the Cleveland Monsters to take Jenner's roster spot and rookie forward Kent Johnson
will get first crack at filling the role of center for the top forward line. Jenner's loss is combined with the loss of second-year center Cole Sillinger
, who's out with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day.
"We all know what Boone is and what he's brought, production-wise and minutes and everything, leadership," coach Brad Larsen said. "And then Silly, I thought his game had started to improve there. The hole has to be filled. That's it. We're going to try (Johnson) in the middle. We're going to take a look at it, start him out with Johnny ( Gaudreau
) and ( Patrik Laine
) to start, see how that looks and we'll go from there."
Jenner was injured in last Tuesday's game against the Panthers when a shot hit him in the hand. He played two more games with the broken thumb, even taking faceoffs despite the injury.
"He had been playing with it a few games and just got some information where I think it's best that he gets it worked on here," Larsen said. "Just shows Boone, nobody really knows or talks about it, but that's what he's been dealing with here for several games. ... I tried to minimize (the faceoffs), but he pretty much told me he could take as many as he could."
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Sillinger was injured Saturday in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins
at TD Garden to conclude a winless road trip (0-3-0) that included losses to the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning
. They now have nine players out with injuries, including eight on injured reserve.
A 3-9-0 start that coincided with injuries to Laine and Justin Danforth
likely nixed any playoff hopes Columbus harbored, but the slew of injuries that followed have essentially cemented the team's fate with 52 games remaining.
Prior to Jenner's injury, the Blue Jackets had seven players on IR that included four defensemen, goalie Joonas Korpisalo
(lower body) and two forwards. Those out for the season include defenseman Zach Werenski
(shoulder), Danforth (shoulder), defenseman Jake Bean
(shoulder) and veteran forward Jakub Voracek
, who's expected to miss the remainder of the season
with lingering concussion issues.
Defenseman Adam Boqvist is back to practicing
and could return relatively soon, while defenseman Nick Blankenburg
is expected to return this season after an ankle fracture and high-ankle sprain.
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Dunne, 24, has five goals, six assists and 11 points in 24 games for the Monsters this season, rebounding from a knee injury last season that kept him at 6-5-11 in 29 games. Rookie forward Liam Foudy
centered the Blue Jackets' fourth line during the morning skate and Larsen told reporters he had another lineup decision to make at forward before facing the Stars.
Last summer, Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen felt good about his team's depth down the middle with Jenner, Jack Roslovic
, Sillinger, Sean Kuraly
, Danforth and Alexandre Texier all capable of playing center. Three are now injured and Texier is playing this season in Switzerland for personal reasons, leaving Larsen with just two forwards with experience playing center at the NHL level.
Johnson played center in junior, but played in a wing position for two seasons with the University of Michigan before signing his first NHL contract last spring. He also got a look at center in the 2022 Traverse City Prospects Tournament
that preceded training camp and spent at least one preseason game centering Johnny Gaudreau and Laine on the Jackets' top line.
That's where the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft will find himself again Monday, which is both an interesting opportunity and proof of how dire the Blue Jackets' injury situation has become. Larsen looked to
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"It's a little bit trial by fire here, and he's going to be jumping in with both feet," Larsen said. "We'll see how it goes. There's nothing set in stone that he's going to stay there the whole time, but we're going to look at it."
bhedger@dispatch.com
@BrianHedger
bjohnson@dispatch.com
@BaileyAJohnson_
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch:
Columbus Blue Jackets lose Boone Jenner to broken thumb
