Blue Jackets’ Ivan Provorov Out Week-To-Week

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov will be sidelined for tonight’s season opener against the Buffalo Sabres. Per The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, Provorov is out on a week-to-week basis with a lower-body injury.

Portzline noted that this is the first time in Provorov’s NHL career that he has missed a game due to injury. He missed three games during the 2021-22 season, but that was due to COVID-19 protocols, not injury. Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness said Provorov is “absolutely heartbroken” about missing time due to injury.

The veteran defenseman suffered his injury in Columbus’ final preseason game. His loss means the Blue Jackets’ blueline becomes even further depleted. Before Provorov suffered his injury, Columbus was already dealing with injuries to regulars Damon Severson and Dante Fabbro. Severson is working his way back from a shoulder injury and is considered week-to-week, while Fabbro has an upper-body injury and is also week-to-week, per Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch.

With Provorov injured, Columbus is down its No. 2 defenseman and a player who is arguably the most important No. 2 defenseman to his team in the entire NHL. Despite being clearly behind reigning Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski on Columbus’ depth chart, Provorov handled a No. 1 defenseman’s workload last season. His 24:48 time on ice per game was top-10 in the NHL, and he anchored his team’s penalty kill.

At times a No. 1 defenseman during his tenure with the Philadelphia Flyers, Provorov is crucial to the Blue Jackets’ lineup and his absence leaves a clear hole on their blueline. Due to the buildup of injuries on their back end, the Blue Jackets appear set to begin the season with a somewhat unrecognizable defense. Their second pairing, per Hedger, is slated to be veteran Carson Soucy (who only recently earned a full-time deal after playing the preseason on a PTO) and recent trade addition Emil Andrae. Behind them will be depth defenseman Jake Christiansen and veteran Erik Gudbranson.

With a fully healthy defense, it’s likely three of those four names would exit the lineup. But Bowness won’t have the luxury of a healthy defense for at least a week given the projected recovery timelines of his injured blueliners. Columbus has every intention of making the playoffs in 2026-27, but these recent injuries pose a serious threat to the team’s ability to build early momentum in the Metropolitan Division standings.