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The Columbus Blue Jackets have found their stride recently. Blue Jackets stars like Zach Werenski have played a vital role in a very impressive run of form for Columbus. However, they received worrying news on Friday night. And they could be without top defenseman Ivan Provorov.
Provorov has been ruled out for the remainder of Friday night's game against the Canucks, the team announced. The Blue Jackets say he suffered a lower-body injury in their announcement. Provorov recorded an assist in a little over eight minutes of ice time before the injury.
Provorov is one of the top defensemen on the Blue Jackets. In fact, he averages the second-highest amount of ice time per game among Columbus skaters. Only Werenski averages more time on ice on a game-by-game basis.
Provorov is also one of the top trade candidates on the market this season. The veteran defenseman is in the final year of a six-year, $40.5 million contract he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2019. His contract counts for $4.725 million against the Blue Jackets' salary cap.
The Flyers traded Provorov to Columbus in the summer of 2023. Philadelphia, Columbus, and the Los Angeles Kings came together on a three-team trade. The Kings took on 30% of Provorov's cap hit to make the deal work financially.
Provorov has had some steady performances with the Blue Jackets. However, Columbus has not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs during his time in Ohio. The team is still working through a rebuild, making the veteran defender a prime trade option. Especially given his status as a pending free agent.
Irregardless of any trade chatter, Ivan Provorov plays a major role with the Blue Jackets. Losing him to injury for any extended period of time is a major blow to this team's blueline. It will certainly be interesting to see how Columbus moves forward if Provorov is down long-term.
