Columbus Blue Jackets’ Gustav Nyquist out indefinitely with upper-body injury

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Friday that forward Gustav Nyquist will be out indefinitely following an upper-body injury.

The injury goes back to Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers. Nyquist logged 3:33 of ice time and left during the first period and did not make a return to the game. He has recorded 10 goals and 22 points in 48 games this season. He currently sits fourth among Blue Jackets forwards in the goals department and sixth in points. Other than forward Johnny Gaudreau, Nyquist was the only other player to have played in every game this season. Last season, he tallied 53 points (18 goals, 35 assists) in 82 games.

Originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, he went on to star at the University of Maine and was a two-time Hobey Baker Award Finalist as the NCAA’s Top Collegiate Player. The 33-year-old just played in his 700th career National Hockey League game. He has spent time in Detroit, San Jose and Columbus. He has recorded 174 goals and 249 assists for 423 points throughout his 12-year career so far. Nyquist is in the final year of his four-year, $22 million contract he signed with the Blue Jackets in 2019. His contract holds an average annual value of $5.5 million. He will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Nyquist was listed on Frank Seravalli’s trade targets list as the No.22 player to watch for the upcoming trade deadline. Now with this injury, one has to wonder what the Blue Jackets are going to do and if Nyquist’s injury will play a serious role in trade negotiations.