The Columbus Blue Jackets announced a trio of roster moves Tuesday, placing defenseman Erik Gudbranson on injured reserve and adding goaltender Jet Greaves from Cleveland on emergency recall.
Gudbranson left Tuesday's game with an upper-body injury, and head coach Dean Evason said after the game that he did not have an update but that "it doesn't look good."
TEAM UPDATES
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) October 16, 2024
We've placed D Erik Gudbranson on Injured Reserve and added G Jet Greaves to the roster on emergency recall from @monstershockey.
We've also placed F Dylan Gambrell on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Cleveland.
https://t.co/CmXkbVdAzT pic.twitter.com/VUQD4rg63A
There is no timetable for Gudbranson's return.
The addition of Greaves will, at least for now, give the Blue Jackets three goaltenders in Columbus. Neither Elvis Merzlikins or Daniil Tarasov have been particularly impressive in the preseason and the start of the 2024-25 season, and this move appears to be an indication that the club will give the 23-year-old Greaves a chance.
According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Merzlikins "needs a rest" and is "being given a few days to gather himself."
Greaves played nine games with the Blue Jackets in 2023-24, posting a save percentage of .908% and a 3.49 goals against average. Five of his eight starts qualified as a quality start.
With seven defenseman still on the roster after the Gudbranson injury, the Blue Jackets seem poised to get David Jiricek into the lineup in the very near future. Jiricek is the only defenseman on the Columbus roster to not dress in the first three games of the season.
In a third move, the team also announced that forward Dylan Gambrell has been placed on waivers with the purpose of being sent to Cleveland.
