The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without their leading goal-scorer, Kirill Marchenko, when they host the New York Rangers on Saturday night at Nationwide Arena. This will be the final game for both teams before the 4 Nations Face-off break.
Marchenko underwent surgery on Monday to repair a broken jaw, and the Blue Jackets announced that he has been placed on injured reserve with no set timetable for his return. The 24-year-old forward leads Columbus with 21 goals and ranks second on the team in assists (34) and points (55). He also holds the NHL’s best plus-minus rating at +31.
The injury occurred late in the second period of Sunday’s 5-3 road loss to the Dallas Stars when a clearing attempt from teammate Denton Mateychuk inadvertently struck him in the face while he was seated on the bench. Holding a towel to his cheek, Marchenko left the bench immediately. If his recovery follows a similar timeline to captain Boone Jenner’s six-week absence for a comparable injury last season, he could be sidelined for an extended period.
Columbus currently holds the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference as they conclude a four-game road trip Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres. The Blue Jackets have been playing well, winning five of their last seven games, including back-to-back overtime victories over the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Hockey Club before falling in Dallas.
The team will return home to face Utah on Thursday before their matchup against the Rangers on Saturday, the second of four meetings between the Metropolitan Division rivals this season. The Rangers, who are five points behind Columbus in the wild-card race, edged out the Blue Jackets 1-0 in a shootout at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 18. Marchenko has recorded four points (two goals, two assists) in eight career games against New York.
Now in his third NHL season, Marchenko has hit the 20-goal mark in each of his campaigns—a feat no Blue Jacket had accomplished since the franchise entered the league in 2000.
Adding to Columbus’ injury concerns, defenseman Dante Fabbro also exited Sunday’s game in the first period with an upper-body injury. Head coach Dean Evason indicated in Dallas that Fabbro is dealing with a suspected concussion and is expected to miss some time.
Kirill Marchenko’s broken jaw latest injury for Rangers rival
Injuries continue to pile up for a Blue Jackets team that has been dealing with them all season. Heading into their game in Dallas, Columbus had already lost 214 man-games to injury this season, surpassing 300 man-games lost in each of the past three seasons.
The team has been without captain Boone Jenner all year after he underwent shoulder surgery following an injury in a late preseason practice. Veteran defenseman Erik Gudbranson suffered a similar fate, injuring his shoulder in just the third game of the season and requiring surgery. Forward Yegor Chinakhov has been sidelined since late November with a lingering back issue, while top center Sean Monahan is recovering from a wrist injury sustained against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 7 and isn’t expected back until mid-March.
Adding to their misfortune, star forward Johnny Gaudreau tragically passed away in a cycling accident last August.
Marchenko’s absence further weakens the Blue Jackets’ top line, which is now missing two of its three members. Dmitri Voronkov is the only remaining healthy piece, though he, too, missed the first nine games of the season with a back injury suffered in the preseason.
Adam Fantilli has stepped up to fill Monahan’s role at center, and the most likely adjustment for Marchenko’s absence would see Kent Johnson shifting to right wing alongside Fantilli and Voronkov. Johnson, who missed 14 games earlier this season with a shoulder injury, has been productive since returning, tallying 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 39 games.
To provide additional depth, Columbus recalled forward Dylan Gambrell on an emergency basis Monday. The 28-year-old has 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 233 career NHL games with the Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks from 2017-23. Meanwhile, Kevin Labanc, who has been a healthy scratch for the past seven games, is expected to return to the lineup against Buffalo.
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