The Columbus Blue Jackets head into tonight’s matchup with the St. Louis Blues carrying 4 points, while St.
Louis sits at 3. Puck drop is set for 7 PM.
Rick Bowness said the lineup could still change because of some game-time decisions, but the projected group has Matthew Knies, Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson together on the top line. Val Nichushkin is slated to skate with Sean Monahan and Dmitri Voronkov, while Cole Sillinger, Charlie Coyle and Mathieu Olivier form the third unit. Ryan Lomberg, Danton Heinen and Conor Garland are listed on the fourth line.
On defense, the pairs are Zach Werenski with Damon Severson, Carson Soucy with Denton Mateychuk, and Emil Andrae with Erik Gudbranson. Jet Greaves is the projected starter in goal.
Luca Del Bel Belluz and Jake Christiansen are listed as scratches.
Columbus is also dealing with a short injury list. Dante Fabbro is out with a broken hand and has missed 3 games.
Isac Lundestrom remains sidelined after Achilles surgery and has missed 3 games on LTIR. Ivan Provorov is out with a lower-body injury and has also missed 3 games.
In total, the Blue Jackets have 13 man games lost.
Tonight’s game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears handling play-by-play. It will also air on CBJHN through Spectrum HD Ch.
320/1320, IP Ch. 349, Prime Video, and Fubo.
The Blue Jackets’ overall record is listed as 39-42-3-13, and they are 14-26-1-8 at St. Louis.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Fans Still Face One Big Access Issue Next Season
The Blue Jackets have lined up a clearer path for fans to watch their non-nationally televised games in 2026-27, with in-market subscribers set to get access through Spectrum, Prime Video and Fubo. It is the sort of distribution update that matters well beyond the fine print, because for plenty of Columbus-area viewers, where a game lands each night can shape how closely they follow the season.
Even so, one familiar access problem remains unsettled. The club says it is still talking with DIRECTV and Breezeline, and those providers have not yet agreed to carry the games, leaving a notable gap in the local viewing picture for next season. Columbus is encouraging fans to contact those companies and push for access, a reminder that the broadcast side of the sport is still very much part of the teams day-to-day fight for attention. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Showed Promise But One Early Concern Still Lingers
There was plenty to like in the Blue Jackets home win over Pittsburgh, starting with the way they handled possession and dictated much of the night. Columbus also got an encouraging boost from the blue line with lineup shuffling in the mix and a familiar face back in the fold, giving the group a little more balance as it tries to settle in early.
Still, the game also served as a reminder that process and finishing are not always the same thing. The Jackets created looks but had trouble cashing them in, even with Cam Talbot making his team debut in goal, and the next layer of evaluation now shifts to how quickly Columbus can turn that territorial edge into a more reliable scoring touch. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Face Their First Real Test Away From Columbus
The Blue Jackets head to St. Louis on Oct. 10 for their first road game of the season, and it arrives with a little more context than a simple early-night trip. Columbus is still sorting through its own lineup picture, but the matchup at Enterprise Center offers an immediate look at how this group handles a new building against a Blues team that has already spent the opening stretch reshaping parts of its roster and settling into a new look.
Columbus will also be leaning on Jet Greaves in net, which adds another layer to an already useful measuring-stick game. The Blues have made notable changes of their own, with Kyrou now in Washington and Mason McTavish already making an impact after arriving from Anaheim, so the Jackets are walking into a game that could say plenty about where they stand once the schedule starts pulling them away from home ice. [Read more 🡒]