The Blue Jackets roster remains in flux, with fourth-line center Lukas Sedlak being placed on injured reserve after he was injured Monday in practice.
Sedlak will miss approximately six weeks because of an ankle injury, the team announced.
Lukas Sedlak took a tumble mid-drill. Hes left practice.
— Alison (@AlisonL) October 23, 2017
The native of the Czech Republic has a pair of goals on the season and had played in every game after a strong rookie season a year ago included seven goals and six assists. This year, he was averaging 9:58 of action per game and was minus-2, though the team's fourth line had started to show some life the past few games.
To take his spot on the roster, the Blue Jackets recalled winger Markus Hannikainen from Cleveland of the AHL. The Finland native began the year on the roster and played three games with the Blue Jackets, not contributing a point and posting a minus-1 rating in 10:26 of action per game.
Earlier in the day, the team recalled winger Jordan Schroeder from a three-game conditioning assignment with the Monsters. Schroeder was signed this offseason from Minnesota, where he scored six goals and seven assists for 13 points and was plus-5 in 37 games with the Wild. He has notched a 17-23-40 line in 144 career NHL games with Minnesota and Vancouver.
Schroeder, who was already on the 23-man roster, is now on waivers and the team will find out Tuesday if he cleared.
So, what does it all mean? There will be, at the very least, a change to the fourth line considering Sedlak had centered the line in every game. In the Los Angeles contest Saturday, he was for the most part flanked by rookies Pierre-Luc Dubois and Sonny Milano thanks to the shifts in the 12-man forward group brought on by the return of Boone Jenner.
Of course, that's not necessarily a fourth line given the offensive skill of Dubois and Milano, and now the team must consider its options down the middle considering it already has Nick Foligno, who was largely a winger the past few seasons, playing center.
Dubois has played center in juniors, while Zac Dalpe – who has played six games but was scratched Saturday – has also played some center in the NHL before. Schroeder has also done so in previous stops, or the team could put Jenner in the middle considering he played there extensively in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
More will likely be known when the team hits the ice ahead of Wednesday's national TV game with Buffalo, but it's not the most ideal of situations the Blue Jackets must address before that contest.
Follow 1st Ohio BatteryFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
