Blue Jackets Open Season Without 3 Top Defensemen

The Columbus Blue Jackets will open their 2026-27 NHL season against the Buffalo Sabres without injured defensemen Ivan Provorov, Damon Severson, and Dante Fabbro. Head coach Rick Bowness announced that all three players are considered week-to-week. Provorov, who blocked a shot during a preseason game in Detroit, was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, ending his 375 consecutive games played streak.

Severson remains sidelined while rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery, while Fabbro is recovering from a broken bone in his hand. With the trio out, Columbus will rely on reshuffled defensive pairings, including Carson Soucy skating alongside Emil Andrae, Zach Werenski partnering with Denton Mateychuk, and Jake Christiansen playing alongside Erik Gudbranson.