Blue Jackets’ Daniil Tarasov leaves game vs. Islanders with upper-body injury

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that goaltender Daniil Tarasov left Thursday’s game vs. the New York Islanders with an upper-body injury and would not return.

The 25-year-old Tarasov left the game with a few minutes left in the first period. After covering the puck at the side of the net, he was clipped by David Jiricek and immediately went to the ice in pain. He would need help off the ice and went straight to the locker room.

Through 17:53, Tarasov made 13 saves on 15 shots. He was replaced by Jet Greaves.

In 23 appearances this season, Tarasov had an 8-11-3 record with a .909 SV% and 3.14 GAA. Drafted by the Blue Jackets in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, the Russian netminder has a 12-24-4 record with a 905 SV% in 44 appearances.

Tarasov has spent a chunk of time with the Blue Jackets’ AHL organization, the Cleveland Monsters. This season, he went 2-1-0 with a .915 SV% and 2.57 GAA.

Before going to North America, Tarasov spent most of three seasons in Russia, capped off with a 2020-21 campaign with Ufa Salavat Yulayev in the KHL where he went 11-3-2 with a .925 SV% and 2.07 GAA.

Going into Thursday night, the Blue Jackets are 25-38-12 with 62 points, last in the Metropolitan Division by 14 points and fifth last in the entire league. After Thursday’s game, they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, then travel to North Carolina to take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.