After last night's news, tonight's Columbus Blue Jackets game may seem more somber or foreboding than anything, but this is still an important game as they'll take on the Buffalo Sabres.
Thanks to the Artemi Panarin news – and a similar (and perhaps more tenuous) situation with Sergei Bobrovsky – the Blue Jackets are in a weird spot, having to balance their contender status with the need to not let either (or both) star players walk at the end of the season for nothing.
Still, while both players are undeniably superstars, they're not All-Stars (this season, at least). For the first time since helping the Metropolitan Division win the All-Star 3-on-3 challenge, Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones will take the ice again.
PROJECTED LINES:
Panarin – Dubois – Atkinson
Dubinsky – Wennberg – Duclair
Foligno – Jenner – Anderson
Sedlak – Nash – Bjorkstrand
DEFENSEMEN:
Werenski – Jones
Murray – Nutivaara
Harrington – Savard
GOALTENDER:
Bobrovsky or Korpisalo
STORYLINES
- The Panarin situation has been hanging over the Blue Jackets all season, but last night's news seemingly puts the final nail in the coffin. Blue Jackets fans will enjoy him while they can – but if he gets moved in the coming weeks, how will the team react on the ice?
- Martin St-Louis has joined the organization as a consultant to help the power play. Obviously that's not a problem that will fix itself overnight, but it'll be interesting to see if they trot out a different structure tonight.
