Injuries lead to roster changes

PHILADELPHIA — The Blue Jackets didn’t wait until the trade deadline Monday to make some changes to their roster. Because of injuries, they were forced to do something.

On Wednesday, the team claimed defenseman Taylor Chorney off waivers from Washington and called up veteran forward Nathan Gerbe from minorleague Cleveland.

Chorney was for defensive help because the Jackets are without Markus Nutivaara, who was put on injured reserve Wednesday, and Dean Kukan.

Gerbe, signed after he left his Swiss club last month, will likely play a bottom-six role with the Blue Jackets.

On Sunday, the Blue Jackets had cleared their injury list. That changed in a hurry.

Gerbe and Chorney are expected to be on the ice Thursday morning before a game at the Philadelphia Flyers.

To make room for Chorney, the Jackets placed captain Nick Foligno on injured reserve after his injury Sunday against Pittsburgh; he’s expected to miss as much as two weeks because of a lower-body injury.

Gerbe, 30, scored a goal with nine assists in 11 games with Cleveland and has played in 394 NHL games over eight seasons with Buffalo and Carolina. Gerbe hasn’t played in the NHL since 2016 with Carolina. After failing to make the Rangers during training camp later that year, he refused to report to the AHL and went to play in Switzerland instead.

Chorney, also 30, has spent the past three seasons with the Capitals but has only played in 42 games the past two years. He has spent parts of eight seasons in the NHL, appearing in 165 games

A-plus player

Defenseman Seth Jones became the latest Blue Jackets player to wear the “A” on his jersey this season.

With Foligno out, the team had three alternate captains Tuesday. As speculation grows that defenseman Jack Johnson may be traded before Monday’s deadline, the letter on Jones’ jersey could be there for a while.

Johnson and Boone Jenner are the other alternate captains.

“There's no question he's the next one in line for that,” coach John Tortorella said, noting Jones’ leadership style is more by example. “Talk is real easy. The most difficult thing to do is lead by your play, and Jones has done that from the get-go this year.”

As for Johnson, Tortorella had praise for how the veteran has handled himself in what could be his final games in a Blue Jackets jersey. Tortorella said Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh may have been Johnson’s best this season.

“Jack has a lot of stuff going on around him, on and off the ice," Tortorella said. “Jack is one of those crusty old pros. He gets it. He cares about his team and he's just playing. And wherever this goes, it goes. It's not going to change how he prepares himself and how he plays the game.”

Fun in Newark

Defenseman Scott Harrington definitely has some love for the Prudential Center as both of his goals this season have come in Newark against the New Jersey Devils.

“Same building, same period,” Harrington said of his secondperiod score. “It's pretty funny. Obviously, I'll take it.”

Tortorella, after joking that Harrington should be called “Harry Orr,” complimented how he handled himself from being bounced around from a healthy scratch to the lineup.

Harrington’s goal Tuesday was his first NHL winner among his three goals in 76 games.

“I’m glad for him; we all pull for him,” Tortorella said.