- Ivan Provorov is week-to-week with a lower-body injury
- The Blue Jackets defenseman had never missed a game due to injury in 778 NHL games
- Read below for Rick Bowness’ presser video and the full Columbus injury list
Ivan Provorov’s iron man streak is over, at least for now.
The Blue Jackets defenseman is week-to-week with a lower-body injury and will miss Thursday’s season opener against the Buffalo Sabres. Head coach Rick Bowness said Provorov is “absolutely heartbroken” about sitting out.
That reaction makes more sense once you see the numbers. Provorov has played 778 NHL games and never missed one because of an injury. The only three games he’s sat out came in 2021-22, when COVID-19 protocols kept him off the ice as a Flyer, as The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline pointed out:
It happened in Columbus’ preseason finale in Detroit on Saturday. A shot caught Provorov in the left ankle and he left the game early.
Bowness was asked about the 29-year-old during his pregame media availability and made it clear Provorov did everything he could to get in the lineup.
“This guy, he’s a warrior, man,” Bowness said. “He’s just heartbroken that he’s not playing. He would go to 20 doctors and just hopefully find one that would say, ‘Right, you can play.'”
Watch Bowness’ full pregame video, with the coach starting at the 2:21 mark:
Provorov isn’t the only regular missing on the back end. Damon Severson (shoulder) and Dante Fabbro (upper body) are also week-to-week.
Severson hasn’t played since late March, when shoulder surgery ended his 2025-26 season. He had 32 points in 71 games before getting hurt.
Fabbro broke his hand in Columbus’ first preseason game on Sept. 21. Up front, Isac Lundestrom is month-to-month after Achilles surgery in July, and the team is hoping to get him into the lineup by early November.
Zach Werenski’s workload got a lot heavier. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch posted how the pairings looked at Wednesday’s practice:
Emil Andrae, who arrived from Toronto in the Matthew Knies trade, jumps straight into the top four.
Replacing Provorov won’t be simple. He put up 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in all 82 games last season and averaged 24:49 of ice time a night. Columbus now has to cover those minutes with three regulars out on the blue line.
