Blue Jackets’ defenseman Erik Gudbranson expected to miss significant time

In the Blue Jackets’ home opener on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers, Gudbranson awkwardly collided with teammate Sean Monahan. Gudbranson immediately skated off the ice and down the tunnel, visibly favoring his right arm.

Per Seravalli, Columbus’ initial diagnosis wasn’t promising, and that he might be out for months. However, they are waiting for Gudbranson to see a specialist on Friday to determine an exact timeline.

It will be interesting to learn the extent of Gudbranson’s injury, as he was relatively healthy in the 2023-24 season, playing 78 games, scoring six goals and 20 assists for 26 points, all career highs. So far, in three games this season, he has yet to register a point, averaging 15:46 of ice time with a plus/minus of +2.

In the Ottawa native’s 13-year NHL career, he has only played less than 50 games once. That came during the 2016-17 season, when Gudbranson only played in 30 games with the Vancouver Canucks.

Gudbranson is in the third year of his four-year contract with a $4 million cap hit that he signed with the Blue Jackets in July 2022.

He has bounced around the league throughout most of his career. The Panthers took Gudbranson in the first round, third overall, of the 2010 NHL Draft. He played five seasons with the Panthers before being traded to Vancouver in May 2016. The odyssey began in the 2018-19 season when Gudbranson was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Since then, he has made stops with the Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, and Calgary Flames.

In 792 NHL games, Gudbranson has scored 34 goals and 99 assists for 133 points.