The Blue Jackets will be without Sean Monahan for a little while. Speaking with Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek (video link), team President and GM Don Waddell indicated that the veteran is dealing with a wrist injury, one that will keep him out for “some time, hopefully not a long time.” Monahan was expected to get a bone scan today to help determine how much time he’ll be out for. The 30-year-old has fit in quite well with Columbus this season, notching 14 goals and 27 assists in 41 games while logging 19:27 per night, his highest ATOI since his sophomore year a decade ago. In doing so, he has given them a legitimate number one center, a spot they’ve been looking to fill for quite some time although they’ll be looking to fill that role with someone else for the time being.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- Sharks winger Fabian Zetterlund is dealing with a lower-body issue but should still be able to play on Friday versus Utah, mentions Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link). The injury hasn’t resulted in him missing any time yet although he hasn’t taken part in several practices due to it. After a strong first year in San Jose, Zetterlund is producing at a slightly better rate this year despite the lingering injury, posting 11 goals and 16 assists through the first 43 games of the season.
- Still with the Sharks, defenseman Jake Walman is also hoping to be available for Friday’s game against Utah, notes Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link). Walman has yet to play since the holiday break due to a lower-body issue of his own. He has been one of the breakout performers of the season after coming over in an offseason move from Detroit and has five goals and 20 assists in 31 appearances so far while logging nearly 23 minutes a game, numbers that lead San Jose’s blueliners.
- Blues center Radek Faksa is nearing a return to the lineup and could be an option to suit up on Thursday, relays Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (Twitter link). The soon-to-be 31-year-old is dealing with a lower-body injury and has played just once in the last four weeks. In his first season with St. Louis, Faksa hasn’t been a big offensive contributor thus far, carrying that over from his time in Dallas. He has two goals and five assists through his first 30 outings and if the Blues wind up selling before the March 7th trade deadline, he could be on the move with several teams undoubtedly looking to add center depth in the coming weeks.