Fischer will be a healthy scratch on Saturday.
Fischer played 9:39 TOI and was a minus-1 in his Blue Jackets debut on Thursday. He'll come back out of the lineup with Yegor Chinakhov replacing him vs. the Rangers.
Columbus Blue Jackets News
Chinakhov will be back in the Blue Jackets lineup on Saturday.
Chinakhov was a healthy scratch on Thursday but he will re-enter the lineup for Christian Fischer on Saturday. Chinakhov has failed to record a point in four games since returning from injury on March 4th.
Johnson will draw into the Blue Jackets lineup on Saturday.
Johnson has been out of the lineup for the last nine games, but he will replace Jake Christansen in the lineup on Saturday. Johnson has just five assists in 34 games this season.
Goalie Start
Tarasov will start Saturday vs. the Rangers.
With Elvis Merzlikins temporarily unavailable due to personal reasons, Tarasov will start Saturday vs. the Rangers. Tarasov comes in on a three-game winning streak with a 2.32 GAA and .930 SV%. Tarasov has faced the Rangers twice this season, going 1-0-1 while stopping 58 of 61 shots (.951 SV%) and one shutout.
Goalie Start
Tarasov is in the starter's crease at the Blue Jackets morning skate.
With Elvis Merzlikins temporarily unavailable due to personal reasons, Tarasov will start Saturday vs. the Rangers. Tarasov comes in on a three-game winning streak with a 2.32 GAA and .930 SV%. Tarasov has faced the Rangers twice this season, going 1-0-1 while stopping 58 of 61 shots (.951 SV%) and one shutout.
Merzlikins is temporarily unavailable due to personal reasons.
Greaves has been recalled from Cleveland (AHL) on an emergency recall.
Graves played five games with the Blue Jackets earlier this season (2-1-2), posting a 2.98 GAA and .906 SV%, but has spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL. The 23-year-old Greaves has a 2.84 GAA and .915 SV% in 34 games with the Cleveland Monsters (AHL) this season (16-10-6).
Gudbransson (shoulder surgery) is likely to return next week.
Gudbranson only played three games this season before suffering a shoulder injury and undergoing surgery in October. The 33-year-old is in his 14th NHL season, his third with Columbus, and is slated to make his return to the lineup next week.
Christiansen (upper-body) is out vs. New York on Saturday.
Christiansen was limited to only 5:27 time-on-ice before exiting Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights due to an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old Christiansen is averaging 12:43 time-on-ice and has eight points (1G / 7A) in 65 games this season.
Christiansen (upper-body) has been ruled out for Saturday vs. New York.
Christiansen was limited to only 5:27 time-on-ice before exiting Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights due to an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old Christiansen is averaging 12:43 time-on-ice and has eight points (1G / 7A) in 65 games this season.
Goalie Start
Merzlikins will start vs. Vegas on Thursday.
The Blue Jackets have lost three of their last four (1-3-0) and will turn to Merzlikins between the pipes on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 30-year-old Merzlikins struggled in his previous outing, allowing five goals on 28 shots (.821 SV%) in a 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils. He has a 3.04 GAA and .896 SV% in 43 games this season (22-17-4). The Blue Jackets enter Thursday's contest as +150 home underdogs against a Golden Knights team amid a two-game losing skid (0-1-1).
Fischer is expected to make his Columbus' debut on Thursday vs. Vegas.
Christian Fischer will make his Blue Jackets debut on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights, resulting in Yegor Chinakhov being a healthy scratch. The Blue Jackets claimed Fischer off of waivers from the Detroit Red Wings last week. The 27-year-old forward averaged 11:09 time-on-ice and had seven points (1G / 6A) in 45 games this season with the Red Wings.
Chinakhov is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Vegas on Thursday.
With Christian Fischer making his Blue Jackets debut on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights, Chinakhov will be the odd-man out of the lineup as a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old Chinakhov has 14 points (7G / 7A) in 21 games this season before being sidelined due to an injury. In four games since returning to the lineup, Chinakhov has zero points and a -6 plus/minus rating.
Goalie Start
Merzlikins is in the starter's crease at Columbus' morning skate.
The Blue Jackets have lost three of their last four (1-3-0) and will likely turn to Merzlikins between the pipes on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 30-year-old Merzlikins struggled in his previous outing, allowing five goals on 28 shots (.821 SV%) in a 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils. He has a 3.04 GAA and .896 SV% in 43 games this season (22-17-4). The Blue Jackets enter Thursday's contest as +150 home underdogs against a Golden Knights team amid a two-game losing skid (0-1-1).
Goalie Start
Merzlikins will start in New Jersey on Tuesday.
The Blue Jackets are coming off a crucial 7-3 win over the New York Rangers in their race for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and will turn to Merzlikins between the pipes on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. The 30-year-old Merzlikins was solid in his most recent outing despite being on the wrong end of a 3-0 score to the Florida Panthers, saving 33 of 35 shots (.943 SV%). He has a 2.99 GAA and .897 SV% in 42 games this season (22-16-4). The Blue Jackets enter Tuesday's contest as +144 road underdogs against a Devils team that snapped a three-game losing skid in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Line Change
Kunin will make his Columbus debut on Sunday.
Goalie Start
Tarasov will start vs. the New York Rangers on Sunday.
Columbus has acquired Luke Kunin from San Jose for a 2025 4th Round Pick.
Kunin was held out of San Jose's lineup on Thursday in anticipation of a trade and has ultimately been dealt to the Blue Jackets on Friday. Kunin is an impending UFA and has 18 points (11G / 7A) in 63 games this season.
Line Change
Kunin (asset management) is expected to be out vs. Colorado on Thursday.
Kunin is an impending UFA and has 18 points (11G / 7A) in 63 games this season. Nikolai Kovalenko will draw into the lineup as Kunin's replacement.
Pyyhtia has been re-assigned to Cleveland (AHL).
With the recent acquisition of Christian Fischer off of waivers from the Detroit Red Wings, Pyyhtia will be reassigned to the Cleveland Monsters (AHL) to create a roster spot for the newcomer. The 23-year-old Pyyhtia is averaging 12:06 time-on-ice and has seven points (4G / 3A) in 47 games this season.
