Columbus Blue Jackets General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced the following roster moves today.
The Blue Jackets placed the following players on Injured Reserve:
D Adam Boqvist (retroactive to December 5); Expected to miss four weeks with a shoulder strain suffered vs. Los Angeles
G Elvis Merzlikins (retroactive to December 5); Expected to miss a week with an illness
F Cole Sillinger (retroactive to November 26); Day-to-Day with an upper body injury suffered vs. Montreal
Columbus has also recalled the following players from the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters:
D Nick Blankenburg (emergency recall)
F Emil Bemstrom
G Jet Greaves (emergency recall)
The team has also altered G Daniil Tarasov’s Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTI) conditioning assignment with the Monsters to a regular conditioning assignment.
Boqvist, 23, has registered three assists with 14 shots on goal and a +3 plus/minus rating in 13 appearances with the Blue Jackets this season. He has posted 22-56-78 with 40 penalty minutes and 235 shots on goal in 187 career NHL games with the Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks since his debut in 2019-20. The 6-0, 189-pound native of Falun, Sweden, who was selected by Chicago eighth overall at the 2018 NHL Draft, was acquired by Columbus in a trade on July 23, 2021.
Merzlikins, 29, has gone 6-8-4 with a 3.10 goals-against average (GAA) and .910 save percentage (SV%) in 19 contests with the team this season. A native of Riga, Latvia, he has posted a 61-70-26 record with a 3.13 GAA, .906 SV% and nine shutouts in 169 career games with the Blue Jackets since making his league debut in 2019-20. The 6-3, 184-pound netminder was selected by Columbus in the third round, 76th overall, at the 2014 NHL Draft.
Sillinger, 20, has recorded 1-8-9 with 15 penalty minutes and 42 shots on goal in 24 games this season. The 6-1, 199-pound forward has notched 20-31-51, 74 penalty minutes and 283 shots on goal since making his NHL debut in 2021-22. Born in Columbus, Ohio, he was selected by the Blue Jackets in the first round, 12th overall, at the 2021 NHL Draft.
Blankenburg, 25, has collected 4-10-14, 20 penalty minutes and 63 shots on goal in 43 career games with the Blue Jackets since making his NHL debut in 2021-22. He recorded 4-10-14 and 16 PIM in 36 outings with the club in 2022-23. The 5-9, 180-pound native of Washington, Michigan ranks second among Monsters defensemen in goals (tied), assists and points in 2023-24 with 3-8-11 and 20 PIM in 18 contests. He originally signed a one-year, entry level contract with Columbus on Apr. 8, 2022.
Bemstrom, 24, has recorded 3-1-4 with four penalty minutes, three power play goals and 20 shots on goal in 12 contests with the Blue Jackets this season. He has totaled 29-33-62 with 22 PIM, 12 power play goals and 302 shots on goal in 184 career games with the Blue Jackets since making his NHL debut in 2019-20. The 6-0, 195-pound native of Nykoping, Sweden has added 26-21-47, 12 PIM, 11 PPG and 117 shots on goal in 33 career AHL games with the Monsters, including 10-4-14 in eight outings in 2023-24. He was selected by the Blue Jackets in the fourth round, 117th overall, at the 2017 NHL Draft.
Greaves, 22, set franchise records for saves and shots faced by a goaltender in his Blue Jackets and NHL debuts when he turned aside 46-of-49 shots (.939 SV%) in a 4-2 loss at Toronto on Apr. 4, 2023. A native of Cambridge, Ontario, he has posted a 40-31-7 record with a 3.00 GAA, .901 SV% and four shutouts in 84 career AHL games with the Monsters since making his pro debut in 2021-22. He is tied for third in the AHL in wins in 2023-24, registering a 9-3-0 record with a 3.09 GAA and .899 SV% in 12 outings. The 6-0, 191-pound netminder was originally signed by the Blue Jackets to a three-year, entry level contract on Feb. 20, 2022.
The Blue Jackets return to action on Thursday when they visit the New York Islanders. Game time from UBS Arena is 7:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage on Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports + and the Bally Sports app begins at 7 p.m. ET. The game will also be heard on the Blue Jackets Radio Network, including 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, and online at BlueJackets.com.
