Blue Jackets’ Sean Kuraly out six weeks with left oblique strain

Kuraly last played in Tuesday night’s 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres, logging one assist and 13:46 of ice time. He has registered 10 goals and 17 points in 59 games this season averaging 14:50 time on ice. He is shooting at 11.6 percent this season. 

According to CapFriendly, Kuraly is in the second year of a four-year, $10 million contract he signed with the Blue Jackets in 2021. He has a cap bit of $2.5 million. 

The 30-year-old was originally selected in the fifth-round of the 2011 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks. He began his career with the Boston Bruins in 2016-17, after a four-year stint in the NCAA at the University of Miami (Ohio) where he won an NCHC Championship in 2014-15. The following year, he also won the NCAA (NCHC) Best Defensive Forward Award. 

Last season, Kuraly set career highs in goals and points, registering 14 goals and 30 points in 77 games. Throughout his seven-year NHL career, he has recorded 115 points (48 goals, 67 assists) and 261 penalty minutes in 406 regular season games. 

The Blue Jackets play tonight at home against the Seattle Kraken. General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen has been busy ahead of Friday’s Trade Deadline, trading Vladislav Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo to the Los Angeles Kings for Jonathan Quick, and Gustav Nyquist to the Minnesota Wild so far. This season, they pose a record of 20-35-6 and have a points percentage of .377%, the lowest in the league. They are the favourites to win the Connor Bedard draft lottery.