We are heading down the home stretch and the Columbus Blue Jackets will have to do the majority of it without their All-Star defenseman, Seth Jones, who will miss eight to 10 weeks with a fractured foot.
General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Tuesday that Jones underwent successful surgery after spraining his ankle and suffering a hairline fracture in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. Jones finished the game and scored the team's only goal in the second period of the 2-1 loss and was shown favoring his ankle after lighting the lamp.
INJURIES: Connor McDavid | Mark Giordano | Shea Weber | Frederik Andersen
At the time of the announcement, the Blue Jackets held the first wild card spot with 70 points (30-17-10). Philadelphia is hot on their tails with 69 points in one fewer game and Carolina is just a step behind the Flyers with 67 points in 55 games.
The injury comes at a bad time for the Blue Jackets but fortunately before the trade deadline, which opens the door for them to pursue more blue line depth in the wake of Jones' absence.
WARNING: The following video may be too graphic for some readers.
In a season full of injuries, #CBJ may have suffered its Biggest loss yet: Blue Jackets’ Seth Jones facing ankle surgery, writes @aportzline https://t.co/Jy8RGBdsnW pic.twitter.com/8rio3gP1b2
— Alison (@AlisonL) February 10, 2020
However, he will now miss time. How long will the defenseman be off the ice? Here is everything we know about Jones' injury and the latest news on when he may return to the ice for the Blue Jackets.
How long will Seth Jones be out?
The team announced Monday that Seth Jones was placed on injured reserve. On Tuesday, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said he will miss eight to 10 weeks following successful ankle surgery. The Blue Jackets have 25 games remaining in the season at the time of the announcement and are in the thick of the playoff race.
Jones missed his first game of the season on Feb. 10 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has 30 points (six goals, 24 assists) in 56 games this season.
Seth Jones injury timeline
The seventh-year defenseman lost his footing while crashing the net with about eight minutes remaining in the first period on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche. He finished the game with 23 minutes and 35 seconds of time on ice, including nearly 10 minutes in the third period of the 2-1 loss, scoring the team's only goal in the second period.
Jones sat out on Feb. 10 against the Tampa Bay Lightning — his first missed game of the season.
On Tuesday, Columbus' general manager announced Jones will miss eight to 10 weeks recovering from ankle surgery on the sprain and hairline fracture.