Blue Jacket Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky Placed On IR

(Photo: Blue Jackets)

General Manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that Vezina-winning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been placed on Injured Reserve with a groin strain sustained in Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightening at Nationwide Arena. He is expected to be out for four to five weeks.

The 25-year-old goaltender is tied for 14th place in the NHL, posting a .909 save percentage and a 2.72 goals-against this season. His only shutout of the season was the 6-0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s number one (COP ON THE FORCE) goaltender during the 2012-2013 season after posting a 21-11-6 record, with a 2.00 GAA and a .932 SV% with four shutouts in 38 games. He has appeared in 144 career NHL games, first with the Philadelphia Flyers and then with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets have had a rollercoaster of a season, with Bobrovsky often at the center; they will have to demonstrate a kind of consistency that they have so far lacked in order to overcome the handicap of losing their starting goaltender.

As one of the frontrunners for the Russian national team, it is unclear what this injury means for Bobrovsky’s chances of playing in Sochi this winter.