Isac Lundestrom misses Blue Jackets skate, forcing new lineup questions in Columbus
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Isac Lundestrom was missing Saturday, and Rick Bowness suddenly had a new question to answer in Columbus.
That is the real takeaway from the Blue Jackets' morning skate update.
Lundestrom was not on the ice, and his spot in the forward group was left open in a lineup that otherwise looked game-ready.
Nothing in the update confirmed an injury. That matters.
But when a regular forward is absent at a morning skate this late in the season, it puts the spotlight on availability right away.
Until Columbus says more, the safest read is simple: Lundestrom was out, and that changed the feel of the session.
The skate looked structured everywhere else.
Mason Marchment skated with Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko, while Boone Jenner centered Sean Monahan and Conor Garland.
The bottom half of the group also had a clear shape, with Cole Sillinger, Charlie Coyle and Danton Heinen together, then Miles Wood with Justin Danforth and Zach Aston-Reese.
The visual told the story.
Columbus rolled through its lines without Lundestrom, and Jet Greaves handled the home net work during the session.
That made Lundestrom's absence the one detail nobody around this skate could miss.
Isac Lundestrom out at Blue Jackets morning skate and Columbus suddenly has a problem
Rick Bowness has only been in this job since January 12, 2026, so lineup changes have already been part of his daily work in Columbus.
That is why this update lands with some weight.
A missing center can change matchups, faceoff assignments, penalty-kill usage and the way the bottom six is built before puck drop.
There were extras on the ice, too, with Kent Johnson and Egor Zamula listed outside the main group. T
hat gives Bowness options if Lundestrom cannot go, even if none of those choices would bring the same role.
On the blue line, Zach Werenski stayed with Denton Mateychuk, Ivan Provorov was paired with Dante Fabbro, and Jake Christiansen worked alongside Erik Gudbranson.
The defensive look suggested Columbus was trying to keep as much stability as possible behind the forward uncertainty.
That is why Lundestrom's absence stands out.
Not because the Blue Jackets confirmed anything major, but because the skate showed a team preparing for a game without him.
Until Bowness or the club gives a fuller update, that is the story: Lundestrom missed the morning skate, and Columbus looked like a team already working through the fallout.
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| POLL | ||
AVRIL 4|121 ANSWERS Isac Lundestrom misses Blue Jackets skate, forcing new lineup questions in Columbus Should Columbus sit Isac Lundestrom unless he is fully ready ? | ||
| Yes | 103 | 85.1 % |
| No | 18 | 14.9 % |
| List of polls | ||