Blue Jackets’ Sean Monahan leaves game vs. Penguins with upper-body injury

Columbus Blue Jackets‘ forward Sean Monahan left Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with an upper-body injury.

Monahan left after his first shift of the third period, which lasted 24 seconds, thanks to Penguins’ forward Rickard Rakell, who scored his 19th goal of the season to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead. Monahan played 12:26 on the night, and recorded one assist, coming on Dmitri Voronkov’s first period power-play goal.

Monahan, 30, is having himself a stellar season in his first year with the Blue Jackets. Entering Tuesday’s action, Monahan had tallied 14 goals, and 40 points, in his first 40 games with Columbus. The Brampton, ON native has played a key role carrying the offense for the Blue Jackets, which has helped the team exceed expectations so far this year, entering their matchup with the Penguins with a 17-17-6 record.

Originally a 2013 first-round pick of the Calgary Flames, Monahan signed a five-year, $5.5 million AAV contract with Columbus last offseason on the first day of free agency. The veteran forward used a timely comeback season during a contract year, split between the Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets, to land himself a long-term contract with the Blue Jackets. Monahan ended last season with a combined 59 points in a rare 83 total games.

Entering Tuesday’s matchup with the Penguins, the Blue Jackets were already dealing with a slew of injuries, including the likes of forwards Boone Jenner, Justin Danforth, and Yegor Chinakhov on the injured reserve, as well as defenseman Erik Gudbranson. With a playoff spot within reach halfway through the season, GM Don Waddell and the rest of the Blue Jackets are hoping for some good news once Monahan is re-evaluated.

The Blue Jackets will depart Pittsburgh and make way back home for one game to host the Seattle Kraken Thursday night, and then will once again hit the road, taking on the Blues in St Louis on Saturday.