Columbus Blue Jackets Get Brutal Update on Star Forward Injury

The Columbus Blue Jackets have had their fair share of injuries through the first four games of the season. Kent Johnson has become the latest player removed from the Blue Jackets’ roster, and the early diagnosis doesn’t look promising.

According to Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason, ahead of the matchup with the Minnesota Wild, Johnson will be sidelined for some time.

Evason didn’t give many details about the timeline for Johnson’s return, but said “It’s not short term.”

Johnson was eliminated early from the Blue Jackets’ 6-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. In the early moments 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.

To start the season, the Blue Jackets went 2-2-0, with Johnson helping lead the way. In the first four games, Johnson had two goals and three assists for five points.

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

Johnson joins a growing injury list in Columbus that 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 more difficult for the team. Injuries are piling up early in Columbus and the schedule is not easy.

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