The Columbus Blue Jackets were busy this morning, making several roster moves as they prepare for the last week before the trade deadline. Brandon Dubinsky has been activated from injured reserve, while Markus Hannikainen takes his place there. In addition, Adam Clendening has been recalled from the minor leagues while Kole Sherwood has been assigned to the AHL. Hannikainen’s IR stint is retroactive to February 14th.
Dubinsky has played just 37 games this season, and missed the last two weeks with a lower-body injury. The veteran forward has 11 points this season and has been relegated to a bottom-six role, but is still a veteran leader on the team and a big body who can engage physically and be a positive in the faceoff circle. The Blue Jackets have extremely thin center depth thanks to another down season for Alexander Wennberg, meaning they’ll take all the help they can get from a player like Dubinsky.
For Sherwood, a demotion comes just after making his NHL debut with the club a few nights ago. The 22-year old forward followed up that performance with over 11 minutes of ice time last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning and didn’t look outmatched at the highest level. Still, he has more to do in order to establish himself as a full-time resident in the Columbus lineup.
The moves leave Columbus with 13 forwards, meaning Anthony Duclair is likely the lone forward scratch for tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.