Sillinger missed the last 11 games with a shoulder injury but will play Friday with the Canucks. Sillinger, who has 29 points (9G / 20A) in 54 games this season, will skate on the third line with Justin Danforth and Mathieu Olivier.
The Blue Jackets snapped a six-game losing skid in their most recent outing when Merzlikins saved 30 of 33 shots (.909 SV%) in a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders. They will roll Merzlikins between the pipes on Friday against the Vancouver Canucks as they try to stay within reach of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The 30-year-old Merzlikins has a 3.03 GAA and .896 SV% in 47 games this season (23-19-5). The Blue Jackets enter Friday's contest as -125 home favorites against a Canucks squad riding a two-game winning streak.
Joel Kiviranta will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings, allowing Wood to re-enter the lineup. The 29-year-old Wood is averaging 11:17 time-on-ice and has four points (2G / 2A) in 30 games this season.
MacDonald is a 22-year-old undrafted free agent out of the University of North Dakota. The 6-foot-3, 224 lbs. left-shot blueliner finished his second NCAA season with three goals and seven assists (10 points) in 46 games. MacDonald’s contract will begin in 2025-26.
Elick was a second-round pick, 36th overall, of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old defenseman has spent the past four seasons in the WHL. He has eight points (2G / 6A) in 33 games with the Tri-City Americans (WHL) this season.
Christiansen has not played since March 13th but appears to be nearing an immediate return to the lineup. The 25-year-old defenseman is averaging 12:43 time-on-ice and has eight points (1G / 7A) in 65 games this season.
Sillinger has not played since February 27th but appears to be nearing an immediate return to the lineup. The 21-year-old forward was averaging 17:18 time-on-ice and scored 29 points (9G / 20A) in 54 games before his injury.
Williams is an undrafted forward that has spent the previous three seasons playing collegiate hockey for Northeastern University (H-East). The 23-year-old Williams scored 41 points (16G / 25A) in 37 games with Northeastern this season.
Wood has only played one game in the last two weeks and will return to the sidelines as a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 29-year-old Wood is averaging 11:17 time-on-ice, recording 40 hits, 48 penalty minutes, and four points (2G / 2A) in 30 games this season.
Monahan has not played since suffering a wrist injury in early January but will make his return to the lineup on Monday against the New York Islanders. The 30-year-old Monahan was producing at a point-per-game pace before his injury for only the second time in his career, with 41 points (14G / 27A) in 41 games. He is expected to play on the Blue Jackets' top line with Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko.
Gudbranson only played three games this season before suffering a shoulder injury and undergoing surgery in October. The 33-year-old is in his 14th NHL season, his third with Columbus, and is slated to make his return to the lineup on Monday against the New York Islanders.
The Blue Jackets, amid a six-game losing skid (0-5-1), are desperately trying to stay in contention for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and will turn to Merzlikins between the pipes on Monday against the New York Islanders. The 30-year-old Merzlikins struggled in his most recent outing, allowing five goals on 33 shots (.848 SV%) in a 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has a 3.04 GAA and .896 SV% in 46 games this season (22-19-5). The Blue Jackets enter Monday's contest as +114 road underdogs against an Islanders team with points in five straight games (2-0-3).
With Daniil Tarasov (illness) unable to play, Columbus will roll with Merzlikins between the pipes on the tail end of their back-to-back. Merzlikins was excellent yesterday, saving 27 of 28 shots in a 1-0 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers. The 30-year-old Latvian goalie has a 3.00 GAA and .897 SV% in 45 games this season (22-18-5). The Blue Jackets enter Friday's contest as slight -102 road underdogs against a Pittsburgh Penguins team coming off a disappointing 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders.
Garland was a game-time decision on Thursday after missing Tuesday's game against the Jets with an undisclosed injury. The 29-year-old Garland is averaging 18:46 time-on-ice and has 41 points (17G / 24A) in 67 games this season. He had a career-high 52 points (19G / 33A) with the Canucks in the 2021-22 season.
