COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sean Monahan, who has centered one of the NHL’s best lines and been an invaluable veteran presence for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season, is expected to be out of the lineup until mid-to-late March after suffering a setback in his recovery from a wrist injury, a team source told The Athletic.
The Blue Jackets were hopeful that Monahan’s right wrist, injured on Jan. 7, would heal quickly and he’d miss only a few weeks. But a recent medical check revealed no significant improvements, and doctors have now projected a longer recovery timeline. Monahan, 30, will almost certainly miss the March 1 Stadium Series game vs. the Red Wings in Ohio Stadium.
Monahan was injured during a a 4-3 shootout win in Pittsburgh when he was checked by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.
It’s yet another injury blow for the Blue Jackets, who have played all season without captain Boone Jenner (shoulder surgery) and for the last two months without speedy winger Yegor Chinakhov (upper body). Veteran defenseman Erik Gudbranson (shoulder surgery) has been out since the third game of the season.
Monahan, who signed a five-year, $5.5 million free-agent contract with the Blue Jackets last summer, has been everything the club hoped he’d be, and more.
With Monahan at center, the Blue Jackets have had one of the league’s top lines, with Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko flanking him on the wings. In 41 games, Monahan, 30, has 14 goals, 27 assists and 41 points, along with a plus-17 rating. He’s also won 51.5 percent of faceoffs.
Not only has Monahan elevated his Russian linemates — Marchenko has 19 goals, 33 assists and an NHL-best plus-28 rating, while Voronkov has 18 goals and 15 assists — but he’s been a huge help to young forwards Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, and others who are just finding their way in the league.
In recent weeks, both Fantilli and Johnson have raved about Monahan’s steady influence, how he’s helped them learn to play with more patience and responsibility in the defensive zone and shown all of the Jackets’ young players how to prepare for games and practices.
The tutelage has paid off.
Since Monahan was injured, Fantilli, only 20, has moved up to the No. 1 line and seen his game awaken, especially offensively. In the last nine games, including the Jan. 7 win over Pittsburgh, which Monahan left early, Fantilli has six goals and five assists in nine games.
On Wednesday, in a 5-1 win over Toronto, Fantilli had his first NHL hat trick, having a career night in his hometown with nearly 100 friends and family in attendance.
The Blue Jackets got a boost on Saturday when Jenner joined the group for a morning skate in Nationwide Arena. He’s expected to practice with the club next week before they depart on a four-game road trip, but will be kept out of heavy contact drills for the near term, general manager Don Waddell said.
Jenner is not expected to return until after the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-off. But his return is good news for a club that needs it, especially so with the extended absence of Monahan.
The Monhan injury may also lead to a longer NHL stay for Luca Del Bel Belluz, who has been a lineup fixture for almost three weeks now. In eight games, playing a second- and third-line role, Del Bel Belluz has has two goals, four assists and a plus-2 rating.
Required reading
• Blue Jackets’ back-to-back struggles continue with lopsided loss to Hurricanes
• Blue Jackets end a decade’s worth of misery in Pittsburgh, but lose Monahan to injury
• Sean Monahan, thriving with Blue Jackets, hopes to honor Johnny Gaudreau’s legacy: ‘You feel his presence’
(Photo of Sean Monahan: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)