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Blue Jackets hit with brutal Kent Johnson injury update

Originally posted on NHL on ClutchPoints
By Colin Gallant | Last updated Oct 19, 2024 3:00 PM ET

The 2024-25 NHL season is not even two weeks old, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are already riddled with injuries. Captain Boone Jenner is on the shelf, along with Dmitri Voronkov and Erik Gudbranson — and the list added another name on Saturday.

Kent Johnson, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, will not play in Columbus’ game against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night, head coach Dean Evason confirmed.

Johnson sustained an upper-body injury during a 6-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres last Thursday night. Blue Jackets teammate James van Riemsdyk, who was tripped shortly before, upended Johnson. He landed on his left shoulder and left the bench just 52 seconds into the second period, per NHL.com’s Craig Merz.

Evason said after the game that the injury “didn’t look good,” and confirmed to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline that the ailment is “not short-term.” Although Evason refused to provide a timeline on the injured forward, it’s likely a more concrete update will materialize sometime in the coming days.

It’s a brutal blow for the Blue Jackets; Johnson has been excellent in 2024-25, racking up two goals and five points over four games. And Columbus has been better than expected, playing to a modest 2-2 record in the early going.

Although the Jackets continue to tread water in the Metropolitan Division, they just can’t seem to stay healthy, which is a significant concern this early.

Kent Johnson joins Jenner, Voronkov, Gudbranson on the shelf

Columbus Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner (38) handles the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Columbus is getting horrible injury luck early in the season — Johnson’s injury happened very close to where Gudbranson was injured in a collision with teammate Sean Monahan, Per Merz. Gudbranson was placed on IR on Wednesday with a left shoulder ailment of his own.

“For some reason, I don’t know if you want to call it bad luck or whatever you want to call it, I realize injuries are part of the game, but this just seems like it’s just so eccentric that it just doesn’t make sense,” defenseman Damon Severson admitted on Friday, per Merz.

Now without Johnson as well, the Jackets will suit up seven defensemen, meaning David Jiricek will make his season debut. The former No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft played 43 games in his rookie season in 2023-24, chipping in a goal and 10 points in that span.

“I mean it’s business, right?” Jiricek said on Saturday regarding the team’s injury troubles, per Merz. “It’s hockey, so I hope I earned the opportunity to play today, and I hope I’m just going to prove I can play here. So, that’s my point right now, and I just want to help the team win.”

Even as decimated as they are, the Blue Jackets have won two of their last three, scoring 15 goals in that span. Zach Werenski continues to lead the way from the blue line, while Yegor Chinakhov and Kirill Marchenko have amassed two goals and six points each in four contests.

Columbus will look to make it back-to-back victories when the Minnesota Wild visit Nationwide Arena on Saturday night.

This article first appeared on NHL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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