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Blue Jackets Get Brutal Update on Star Forward's Injury

The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without a star forward on a long-term basis.

Nick Horwat

Oct 12, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Kent Johnson (91) celebrates his goal scored in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Oct 12, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Kent Johnson (91) celebrates his goal scored in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have already had their fair share of injuries through the first four games of the season. Kent Johnson became the newest player taken out of the Blue Jackets lineup, and the early diagnosis doesn’t look promising.

According to Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason ahead of their contest with the Minnesota Wild, Johnson will be out for quite some time.

Evason didn’t have many details on a timeline for Johnson’s return, but did say  “It’s not short term.”

Johnson was an early exit from the Blue Jackets’ 6-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres. In the early stages of the second period, Johnson left the game with an upper-body injury.

Johnson played just one shift in the second period before leaving the game. He was credited with 6:26 of ice time and an assist on the game’s opening goal.

Through the start of the season, the Blue Jackets have gone 2-2-0 with Johnson helping lead the way. In the first four games, Johnson has picked up two goals and three assists for five points.

The only two Blue Jackets with more points are Yegor Chinakhov and Kirill Marchenko who both have two goals and four assists for six points.

Johnson joins a growing list of injuries in Columbus which already includes captain Boone Jenner, defenseman Erik Gudbranson, and Dmitri Voronkov.

The Blue Jackets don’t have extremely high expectations for the 2024-25 season, but losing a leading scorer like that will only make things tougher on the team. The injuries are piling up early in Columbus and it’s not an easy schedule ahead.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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