hurricanes vs blue jackets — projected lineups, scratches and injury updates are set as Carolina visits Columbus at Nationwide Arena for the first of three straight home games for the Blue Jackets. Carolina enters with 90 points and a 42-18-6 record while Columbus sits at 79 points with a 34-21-11 mark. The matchup carries divisional implications as both clubs look to manage defensive availability and forward deployment on game night.
Projected lines, scratches and injury notes
Carolina’s top trios are listed as Andrei Svechnikov — Sebastian Aho — Seth Jarvis and Taylor Hall — Logan Stankoven — Jackson Blake, with Nikolaj Ehlers — Jordan Staal — Jordan Martinook and William Carrier — Mark Jankowski — Eric Robinson rounding out the forwards. Scratched for Carolina are Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nicolas Deslauriers. Injured players listed include Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body) and Pyotr Kochetkov (lower body). The lineup notes state that the Hurricanes did not hold a morning skate and that Gostisbehere, a defenseman, will miss a fifth straight game. A separate note indicates that Gudbranson is expected to return after missing three games with an upper-body injury, with Christiansen, a defenseman, coming out.
Hurricanes Vs Blue Jackets — Columbus projected deployment
Columbus projected forward groups are listed with Mason Marchment — Adam Fantilli — Kirill Marchenko up front and Kent Johnson — Sean Monahan — Conor Garland in a secondary trio. Additional forward combinations include Cole Sillinger — Charlie Coyle — Mathieu Olivier and Isac Lundestrom — Boone Jenner — Danton Heinen. The Blue Jackets list scratches as Miles Wood, Dimitri Voronkov, Egor Zamula and Jake Christiansen, which will shape both defensive pairings and depth options for this home stretch.
Standings context and what to watch
Carolina sits at 42-18-6 for 90 points and a 7-3-0 record in the last 10 games; Columbus is 34-21-11 with 79 points and a 5-1-4 record in the last 10. This meeting is the first of three straight games at Nationwide Arena for Columbus, and the listed scratches and injuries from both teams figure to be decisive for matchups and minutes. Watch for lineup changes tied directly to the listed scratches and the expected return mentioned, as teams deploy available defensemen and forwards.
Final notes: the official lineups presented here mirror the projected groups and roster moves provided for the matchup. Expect the teams to confirm their game-night rosters and any additional changes tied to the injury statuses already noted in these projections, with the listed scratches and returns the primary drivers of late adjustments.
