The Blue Jackets have had quite the shakeup to the team's lineup recently thanks to injuries. Today's practice showed one Jacket appears closer to returning to the lineup, while there's no update on another.
On the latter side is defenseman Ryan Murray, who missed Tuesday's game vs. New Jersey and did not practice today, according the media present. Befitting a team nearing playoff time, head coach John Tortorella offered very little in the way of a progress report.
Tortorella, 3/9/17
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) March 9, 2017
Q:What happened to Ryan Murray, was it ...
A:"None of your business."
Q:Lower b ...?
A:"None of your business."#sugar
The team did note shortly after the opening draw Tuesday that it is a lower-body injury for the defenseman, who has been paired with rookie Markus Nutivaara much of the season. Murray has two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 59 games. The 23-year-old averages 18:36 minutes per night.
Murray's absence has opened a spot for Nutivaara, the rookie surprise who has two goals and five assists this year while showing good puck-moving skills, to return to the lineup. Nutivaara was a healthy scratch for the team's first three games after the trade deadline following the acquisition of Kyle Quincey, who has played in all four games since coming over from the New Jersey Devils.
In better news, Columbus did have winger Matt Calvert at practice today, though his return date to game action remains unclear.
Matt Calvert (oblique muscle) said it was good to practice, but offered no timetable on return. Says he needs a full-contact practice. #CBJ
— Tom Reed (@treed1919) March 9, 2017
The Jackets are without three regular forwards from the bottom six at the moment, with Calvert (9-2-11 in 51 games), center Lukas Sedlak (6-6-12 in 55 games) and bull-in-a-china-shop Josh Anderson (14-10-24 in 63 games) all out at the moment. Sedlak (oblique) skated last week, per Portzline, and Anderson suffered a lower-body injury Sunday at New Jersey that will cost him 7-10 days.
Those absences have been filled by the deadline trade for winger Lauri Korpikoski, the suddenly en fuego Oliver Bjorkstrand and the NHL debut of center T.J. Tynan.
The Jackets host Buffalo on Friday night before trekking to western New York to complete the home-and-home on Saturday night.
