Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Unlikely to play again
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When asked about Dubinsky on Friday, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen admitted that the 34-year-old pivot's wrist injury will likely keep him from playing professional hockey again, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.
Kekalainen deemed Dubinsky's wrist injury a "chronic condition" back in April, but there was still a glimmer of hope that the veteran forward would be able to play again at some point in the future. However, with Friday's statement, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Dubinsky will spend the final year of his contract on long-term injured reserve before announcing his retirement following the conclusion of the 2020-21 campaign. If that does indeed end up being the case, the 2004 secound-round pick will finish his career having totaled 153 goals and 438 points in 823 games split between the Rangers and Blue Jackets over 13 seasons.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Dealing with chronic issue
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Dubinsky's wrist injury was deemed "a chronic condition" by general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, who also told reporters the center wasn't close to returning to action, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.
Considering Dubinsky hasn't played at all this season -- his last appearance in an NHL game was May 6, 2019 -- fantasy owners may have to be prepared for Dubinsky to permanently wind up on long-term injured reserve. Even if cleared to play down the road, the Alaska native failed to reach the 20-point mark in either of his previous two seasons and likely won't get back to being a 40-point producer any time soon.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Remains unavailable
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Dubinsky (wrist) won't play Friday against Anaheim, Alison Lukan of The Athletic reports.
Dubinsky has yet to play this season due to a wrist injury and remains without a timetable for his return to the lineup. The veteran pivot will need to be activated off injured reserve before making his season debut, so expect another update on his status once that occurs.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Beginning year on IR
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Dubinsky (wrist) was placed on injured reserve Monday, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
This is essentially a formality since Dubinsky was already set to miss the season opener with this wrist issue. There's still no timeline for Dubinsky's return, but the earliest he can play in a game will be Oct. 7 versus the Sabres. Once he's healthy again, Dubinsky will fill in on the bottom six.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Will miss Opening Night
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Dubinsky is out indefinitely with a wrist injury and will miss the start of the 2019-20 campaign.
Dubinsky failed to hit the 65-game mark in either of his previous two seasons and appears set to miss some time this year as well. The veteran has seen himself bumped from a top-six role, and likely will fill in as a fourth-line center. Gone are the days in which Dubinsky was a 50-point producer, with his ceiling likely in the 20-25 point range.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Will play Tuesday
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Dubinsky (concussion) will take part in Tuesday's Game 4 against the Lightning, Brian Hedger of NHL.com reports.
Dubinsky cleared the league's concussion protocol after Game 3 and was expected to play Tuesday after receiving that evaluation. He should remain on the fourth line alongside Boone Jenner and Riley Nash after coach John Tortorella declared no lineup changes.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Expects to play Tuesday
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Dubinsky (concussion) successfully passed league protocol following Game 3 but will be re-evaluated Tuesday ahead of Game 4, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
The forward declared himself "ready to rock" when speaking to the media Monday, a clear sign Dubinsky has little doubt he'll be good to go for what could be a series-clinching game for Columbus. He was forced to depart Sunday after being involved in a collision with Tampa defenseman, Braydon Coburn.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Activated off IR
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Columbus activated Dubinsky (lower body) off injured reserve Tuesday.
Dubinsky has missed the Blue Jackets' last seven games due to a lower-body injury, but he was a full participant at Monday's practice, which was the first indication that he was likely on the brink of rejoining the lineup. The 32-year-old is still a decent bottom-six option for Columbus at this stage in his career, but he's only notched 11 points in 37 appearances this campaign, so he's not a viable option in most fantasy formats.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Practices with team
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Dubinsky (lower body) joined the team for practice Monday, but won't suit up against the Lightning, Craig Merz of NHL.com reports.
Dubinsky will miss his seventh game as a result of his lower-body problem. The 32-year-old remains on injured reserve, but the fact that he is able to practice with the team is a good step in the right direction. Once given the all-clear Dubinsky will need to be activated off injured reserve, which could force Kole Sherwood or Eric Robinson back to the minors -- though if the center's activation comes after Monday's trade deadline, the team won't need to stay under the 23-man limit, which would allow it to keep both guys in the NHL.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Lands on injured reserve
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Dubinsky (lower body) was designated for injured reserve Friday, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
The news effectively rules Dubinsky out against the Blackhawks on Saturday, though he could technically still be activated in time to play if the team utilizes retroactive IR. With the 32-year-old sidelined and Boone Jenner (undisclosed) also out versus Chicago, the Jackets recalled Cole Sherwood from the minors, and he figures to slot into a fourth-line role.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Ruled out versus Isles
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Dubinsky (lower body) remains day-to-day and won't be in the lineup against the Islanders on Thursday, Brian Hedger of NHL.com reports.
Dubinsky will miss his fifth straight game due to injury and ninth in the club's last 14 outings. Prior to getting hurt, the center was struggling to produce offensively with just two points in his previous 19 outings. The 32-year-old has seen his minutes drastically reduced this year, as he is averaging a mere 12:43 of ice time compared to 15:21 and 17:54 in 2017-18 and 2016-17, respectively.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Status murky
Rotowire
Dubinsky's chances of participation in Thursday's clash with the Islanders are unclear as he continues to deal with a lower-body injury, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Head coach John Tortorella told Svoboda that he hasn't received a recent update on Dubinsky, who last played Feb. 2. At this point, Dubinsky should be considered a game-time decision at best.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Still out of lineup
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Dubinsky (lower body) will not be in the lineup for Tuesday's game against Washington, Tom Reed of The Athletic reports.
Dubinsky's absence will continue to linger, as he hasn't suited up in game action since Feb. 2. The extent of the injury is still unclear, but the 32-year-old did undergo an MRI at some point during the team's recent road trip. As long as Dubinsky is out, Riley Nash will continue to fill the void in his absence.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Done for road trip
Rotowire
Dubinsky (lower body) has been ruled out for the remainder of the team's road trip and has returned to Columbus to undergo an MRI, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
Portzline still believes Dubinsky is day-to-day, but the results of his upcoming MRI should shed more light on the pivot's situation. With Thursday and Saturday off of the table, Dubinsky's next opportunity to rejoin the lineup arrives Tuesday against the Capitals.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Out of Tuesday's lineup
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Dubinsky (lower body) was not among Columbus' lines in warmups, suggesting he'll sit out Tuesday in Colorado, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reports.
Dubinsky left Monday's practice session due to this injury, and it looks like he hasn't recovered enough to take part in this one. Lukas Sedlak will draw in as a result of Dubinsky's absence. Dubinsky's next chance to return comes Thursday in Arizona.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Leaves practice early
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Dubinsky (undisclosed) was forced to leave Monday's practice early, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
Coach Tortorella offered no post-practice update on Dubinsky's status ahead of Tuesday's road contest in Colorado. With just two points over his last 19 games, Dubinsky has been colder than cold of late, and should probably be benched until he finds more consistency in his game.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Looks fit to play
Rotowire
Dubinsky (undisclosed) took to the ice for warmups Saturday, Jeff Svoboda of Jackets Insider reports. As a result, he's expected to play in the home game against the Blues.
Barring a last-second change, it looks as though fantasy owners can count on using Dubinsky. However, he hasn't been a strong option based on his inability to stay healthy and declining year-over-year production. The Alaskan has posted five goals, six assists and a minus-11 rating through 36 games this season.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Leaves practice Saturday
Rotowire
Dubinsky departed practice early Saturday due to an apparent injury, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Dubinsky's status for the evening's affair is unclear, but Mark Letestu indicated that he will be among the forward lines. That could be a result of Dubinsky moving out of the group, but we won't know for sure until pregame warmups.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Expected to dress versus Montreal
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Dubinsky (hamstring) should be in the lineup Friday versus the Canadiens, Brian Hedger of NHL.com reports.
After missing the past four games, Dubinsky is no longer on injured reserve and thus expected to play Friday at home versus the Canadiens. In 32 games this season, he has scored only four goals and tallied six assists, all while averaging a career-low 12:48 of ice time per game.
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Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky: Shifts to IR
Rotowire
Dubinsky (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve Thursday and will be out a minimum of one week, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Dubinsky will miss at least the next four games with his injury while he's parked on injured reserve. The oft-injured center pauses his 2018-19 campaign having produced four goals and six assists through 32 games.
