Columbus Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine out three to four weeks with sprained ankle
You couldn’t imagine the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 2022-23 start to be worse if you were writing a horror movie screenplay. After the Johnny Gaudreau signing brought hope for the franchise in the offseason, the news has been consistently bad all year long. The Jackets are 4-9-1, tied for the fewest points in the NHL; they lost No. 1 defenseman Zach Werenski to a season-ending shoulder injury last week: and, Monday, they revealed another piece of brutal injury news.
Top-line right winger Patrik Laine sprained his ankle during Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders and is expected to miss three to four weeks.
INJURY UPDATE: #CBJ forward Patrik Laine suffered a sprained ankle in Saturday’s game at the NY Islanders and is expected to miss 3-to-4 weeks.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) November 14, 2022
The injury occurred in the third period when Laine collided with teammate Cole Sillinger in the neutral zone. Laine came up limping but finished the game, logging 22:29, and said afterward he was fine. But the injury must’ve swelled up the following day, as it’ll sideline him well into December now.
In the the third, Laine and Sillinger collided pretty hard in the neutral zone.
Both finished the game and Sillinger said they're both fine, but Laine was spotted limping back into the locker room afterward, so we'll see if that becomes anything.#CBJ
— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) November 13, 2022
It’s been a star-crossed season for Laine, 24, who injured his elbow in Columbus’ season opener and missed six games. He’s played just eight games this season, collecting two goals and four points.
Injuries are beginning to become a regular problem for Laine, a gifted shooter whose 178 goals rank second among all players selected in the 2016 NHL Draft class. A pair of injuries cost him 26 games spread across two absences last season. He’s missed 32 of Columbus’ last 96 games dating back to the start of 2021-22.
He joins a bursting Blue Jackets infirmary. Werenski is already done for the year, while defenseman Adam Boqvist is out with a broken foot, defenseman Nick Blankenburg is out with a fractured ankle, and forwards Sean Kuraly and Jakob Voracek also remain on the IR. Young center Kent Johnson is working his way back from an upper-body injury and will likely draw into the lineup to replace Laine.