Blue Jackets Start Season Missing Three Top Defensemen: Provorov, Severson, Fabbro Week-to-Week

# What happened Jackets announced they will open the 2026-27 season without three of their top defensemen. Ivan Provorov was placed on injured reserve after blocking a shot in the final preseason game and will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. His consecutive-games streak ends at 375 games — the first non-Covid-related injury absence in his NHL career.

# Immediate lineup changes Columbus adjusted the left and right side pairings for the opener. Those matchups included:

• Carson Soucy paired with Emil Andrae. Soucy earned a roster spot after attending camp on a PTO. Andrae, acquired in the Matthew Knies/Kirill Marchenko trade, will need to slide to the right side.
• Zach Werenski paired with Denton Mateychuk.
• Jake Christiansen paired with Erik Gudbranson.

# Coach's stance and what the team will ask of its defensemen Rick Bowness described Provorov as "a warrior" and relayed the player's frustration: "He's just heartbroken that he's not playing. It's unreal. He would go to 20 doctors and just hopefully find one that would say you can play. It's lower body, week-to-week and he's heartbroken that he's not playing."

Bowness also laid out practical expectations for the defensive corps: "You're not going to have the same partner going on every night. You're not going to be on the left side every time. You're going to be moved around. That's the challenge we face." The coach is signaling a short-term, flexible approach to assignments while waiting for clearer timetables on returns.

# Short-term roster and cap implications If injuries continue or the team needs another body, the Blue Jackets may have to make roster moves tied to long-term injured reserve math and the salary cap. Calling up a replacement would require balancing the cap and potentially moving salary or placing a player on LTIR. The team's current response leans on veterans already in camp (Soucy, Christian-sen, Gudbranson) and younger options like Andrae and Mateychuk to hold the fort.

# What this means for the season start The immediate effect is increased lineup churn, less consistency in partner combinations, and more workload on the available top-end defensemen. The situation presents an early test of depth and coaching adjustments. The team's management of cap mechanics and potential short-term call-ups will shape how long the rotations continue and whether the Blue Jackets can stay competitive while awaiting returns.