Another major injury in Columbus.
If it seems like the hits keep coming for the Blue Jackets, you would be correct.
Injuries and man games lost have been quite the story over the last few years around Nationwide Arena, and so far in 2024-25, it's remained a theme. The team announced Tuesday that defenseman Erik Gudbranson, a valued member of the Blue Jackets' leadership group and a sturdy presence on the ice, underwent surgery to repair an injured shoulder.
The surgery was performed in Vail, Colorado, where forward Kent Johnson had surgery earlier this year. As per new team policy, the Blue Jackets did not disclose an injury diagnosis or a timeline for Gudbranson's recovery.
“Erik had successful shoulder surgery on Monday and is expected to make a full recovery,” said president of hockey operations and GM Don Waddell. “While he will miss a significant amount of time, we know he will work extremely hard during his rehab and will continue to be an important part of our leadership group.”
Here's the play where Gudbranson was injured:
First, it was captain Boone Jenner suffering a freak injury in practice when he slipped and fell into the end boards. Then Gudbranson collided with Sean Monahan during the team's home opener against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 15, and just this week, Johnson (off to a strong start) collided with James van Riemsdyk and appeared to sustain another serious shoulder injury.
The Blue Jackets placed Gudbranson on injured reserve on Oct. 16. He was seen wearing a sling while being introduced to the home crowd during the team's "traditional" opening night festivities on Oct. 17 against the Buffalo Sabres.
