Losing Tyutin is a cruel hit to the Jackets, a streaky team that used the month of January to climb right into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race and were looking like they were finally going to be healthy for a brutal stretch run, but the ankle injury leaves a hole on the blue line across from Jack Johnson on the first pairing.
"You want everybody to come back healthy, but we've got to be able to deal with it" Columbus assistant coach Craig Hartsburg said. "It's a crucial time not to have him, but others are going to have to step up. As a group, they're going to have to be better."
It is speculated that Tyutin will be out for a period of two to three weeks.
Dalton Prout is the favorite to be called up from AHL Springfield to take Tyutin's spot on the roster while he's on the mend. Prout was up with the 'Jackets for 27 games before a myriad of injuries forced him back down to the affiliate - but he's healthy now and last season's surprisingly solid work is needed for the stretch run if Columbus is going to make the post-season.
"He's probably ready to come back and be the player that we saw last season" Hartsburg replied when questioned about Prout.
Columbus sits one point behind the Detroit Red Wings for the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and has a less-than-imposing stretch schedule, so the Blue Jackets are primed to get on another hot streak like the eight straight they pulled out of their hat in January...
...losing three straight after that, then winning three, then losing...you get the point.
http://www.sportsinjuryalert.com/2014/02/blue-jackets-fedor-tyutin-on-shelf-with.html
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