COLUMBUS, Ohio – It seems like it’s never all good news for the Columbus Blue Jackets this fall. They get leading scorer Ryan Johansen back only to lose center Brandon Dubinsky for six weeks.
Sporting a scraggly beard and long hair, Johansen returned to the ice after missing most of training camp during a contract holdout.
Johansen took part in the club’s final practice on Wednesday before the season opener Thursday night at Buffalo (7:00 p.m./FOX Sports Ohio).
Coach Todd Richards has expressed concerns about Johansen’s conditioning and has yet to make up his mind whether the Blue Jackets’ leading scorer last year will play against the Sabres.
Johansen, 22, signed a 3-year, $12-million contract on Monday. He took some ribbing from several teammates when he walked into a morning meeting a day after flying in from his native Canada.
Dubinsky will be out six weeks after undergoing abdominal surgery Wednesday, Richards said.
Dubinsky had 16 goals and 34 assists a year ago as one of the leaders on a young Blue Jackets team that made the postseason for only the second time in the franchise’s 13 years. He was injured during a Monday practice.
Richards said that Dubinsky’s absence would provide an opportunity for several players to get more playing time, including rookies Marko Dano, Michael Chaput and Alexander Wennberg, and others.
The team had already lost Boone Jenner and Nathan Horton to injuries earlier in the week.