Blue Jackets’ Severson out for remainder of season with shoulder injury

The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without defenceman Damon Severson for the remainder of the regular season as they continue to chase a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the team announced on Friday.

Severson, 31, underwent surgery on Thursday to repair his injured shoulder, sidelining him for the playoff push.

The 6-foot-2, right-shot blueliner sustained the injury during the Blue Jackets’ 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on March 26 after taking a hit from Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc in the third period. He recorded a goal with two shots and a plus-1 rating prior to leaving with 21:23 of ice time.

Severson is second in scoring among Blue Jacket defencemen this year with eight goals and 32 points in 71 games, only behind star defender Zach Werenski. He is also third on the team in ice time, averaging 21:04.

Columbus has been on fire since making a change behind the bench by hiring coach Rick Bowness on Jan. 12. They have gone 19-6-5 since making the coaching change.

However, they are in the midst of a five-game winless skid, coming at a time while they are fighting for their playoff lives.

The Blue Jackets sit in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with a 38-26-12 record and are one point behind the New York Islanders for the third playoff spot in their division. They are also only ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers by two points and three points ahead of the Washington Capitals.

Columbus is also tied with the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card position in the Eastern Conference with Ottawa and Detroit holding the first tie-breaker with more regulation wins.

The Blue Jackets have six games remaining in the regular season that includes three games against teams that are in a playoff position and a crucial matchup with the Red Wings on Tuesday.