For those wondering why Columbus Blue Jackets rookie defenseman Markus Nutivaara only appeared in two games during the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, we now have an answer.
Nutivaara, who played in 66 regular season games for the Blue Jackets, suffered a hip injury on Jan. 14 at Florida and will undergo surgery on the hip, possibly as soon as tomorrow.
“I think Nutivaara will need hip surgery and the recovery will be four months,” general manager Jarmo Kekalainen told reporters Monday. ”That's why he's not going to Worlds. He was invited by Team Finland to go to Worlds, but cannot.
“He'll go through surgery maybe as early as tomorrow.”
Kekalainen confirmed Nutivaara injured the hip in mid-January, when he was held out of the lineup for three weeks for an undisclosed lower body injury.
“His hip had been nagging all year. That's why there were some maintenance days and games he sat out, so that he could get through the season down the stretch.”
Nutivaara finished with two goals and five assists in the regular season. In his first postseason action, he recorded a goal and an assist in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, a game the Blue Jackets won, 5-4.
As for other injuries on the team, Kekalainen said there were none other than the typical wear and tear of the postseason.
“Other than [the Nutivaara injury], just bumps and bruises [on the team], but that's about it.“
