With defenseman Jack Johnson serving a three-game suspension, the already depleted Columbus Blue Jackets will have to get by without their leader in minutes per game. As luck would have it, one of their other top defensemen should be available for Friday’s contest against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Columbus announced that James Wisniewski has been activated off of the injured reserve list after he missed three games with a broken finger. Earlier this week, the Blue Jackets learned that he wouldn’t need surgery.
Wisniewski is coming off of a big campaign where he scored seven goals and 51 points in 75 games. He has three assists in nine contests this season.
The Blue Jackets also placed defenseman Ryan Murray on the injured reserve list, but the move is retroactive to Nov. 1. Murray suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury and is currently listed as day-to-day.