Columbus Blue Jackets Announce Multiple Injuries

The injury bug has hit the Columbus Blue Jackets extremely hard all of this season, and now that trend is continuing. The Blue Jackets have announced that Erik Gudbranson is done for the season due to a separated shoulder. With that, Nick Blankenburg is out week-to-week with an ankle injury, while Mathieu Olivier will be sidelined for two to four weeks with a lower leg bruise.

Gudbranson was one of the Blue Jackets' notable offseason signings this past summer. In his first season as a Blue Jacket, the 6-foot-5 defenseman had one goal, 12 assists, and a minus-24 rating. He will be aiming to make a bigger impact for Columbus next season.

If Blankenburg's season is over, he should certainly be happy with it. The 24-year-old cemented himself as a legitimate NHL defenseman and put up some solid numbers in the process. In 36 games, he had four goals to go along with 14 points.

Olivier also has had a career season with the Blue Jackets. He set new career highs with five goals, 10 assists, 15 points, 178 hits, and 81 penalty minutes in 66 games. Due to this, he should have a home on Columbus' fourth line next season.

Elvis Merzlikins has also been deemed as day-to-day due to a lower-body injury.