SEATTLE — A rough weekend in the Pacific Northwest got even worse for the Blue Jackets on Sunday night.
More: Columbus Blue Jackets' Patrik Laine enters NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program
Nearly seven minutes into the second period of a 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena, rookie center Adam Fantilli left the game with an injury to his left leg. Sliding over to deliver a hit on Jared McCann , Fantilli finished the check and came out of it grabbing at his left leg. He left the game immediately, missed the remainder of the period and was ruled out for the rest of the game early in the third with a lower-body injury.
Replays show McCann's left skate likely contacted the back of Fantilli's left calf after the initial body contact. Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said after the game that he hadn't gotten a full medical breakdown about the injury. He said Fantilli was "questionable" for the final stop of a five-game road trip Tuesday in St. Louis , but didn't "have the full report yet."
Fantilli left the arena using crutches, wearing a lengthy walking boot on his left leg and gingerly placing weight on his left foot.
Fantilli, the third pick in last summer's NHL draft , has impressed since training camp. He has 12 goals, 15 assists and 27 points in 49 games and ranks fourth in scoring among NHL rookies. He's also third in goals, trailing Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (15), who's out with a broken jaw, and Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi (13).
Fantilli's injury comes on the heels of earlier news Sunday that Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine will be away from the team indefinitely after leaving the road trip and entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets' Fantilli injured against Kraken, doesn't return
