Blue Jackets nearing crisis with goalies
The Blue Jackets may need to apply some duct tape and chewing gum to the leaks they’re springing.
As a COVID-19 outbreak continues to affect the roster, including a potential loss of top defenseman Zach Werenski, the team’s goaltending situation is nearing a crisis situation thanks to injuries Saturday in a 7-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov each have lower-body injuries that kept both out of practice Monday, which required emergency backup goalie Bailey Seagraves to work the net opposite of Joonas Korpisalo, who came off the COVID protocols list Saturday.
“Elvis had a little discomfort this morning, so we're just kind of managing that,” coach Brad Larsen said. “I'm not sure when it happened. I just know there's an issue.”
Merzlikins played the third period against the Hurricanes in relief of Tarasov, who was injured at some point in the second and couldn't continue. Larsen said he isn't sure when Merzlikins was hurt, but it might've happened during a
collision with teammate Jakub Voracek.
Merzlikins left his net for a sixth skater to enter late in the game when he accidentally collided with Voracek. He was seen stretching out his leg on the bench afterward. Merzlikins will be reassessed Tuesday, which means Korpisalo will likely start Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Jackets' backup option could be Merzlikins, depending on his issue, or Cleveland Monsters goalie Jean-francois Berube, whom the Jackets recalled to the taxi squad for the afternoon game against the Hurricanes and then reassigned.
Werenski's situation was also openended Monday.
After testing positive for COVID-19 before practice, the defenseman was retested to confirm the results. If the retest is positive, Werenski will be placed on the team's COVID protocols list and continue
an isolation period of at least five days that began on Monday.
It's unclear how the defensive pairings will shake out if Werenski is unavailable.
Oliver Bjorkstrand practices with Blue Jackets after COVID stint
The Blue Jackets also got some good news at practice Monday, as forward Oliver Bjorkstrand joined his first team practice session since testing positive for COVID-19 a week earlier.
Bjorkstrand was asymptomatic during his quarantine, which lasted five days instead of 10 after the NHL and NHL Players' Association followed the CDC'S lead last week by shortening the minimum isolation length for asymptomatic people.
Bjorkstrand, who's tied for the team's scoring lead with Jakub Voracek as 23 points each, missed two games. He made use of his downtime by brushing up on his chess strategies.
“I watched some TV and I played some chess with my fiancé,” Bjorkstrand said. “That's our new thing, I guess.”
bhedger@dispatch.com