Matt Calvert out 'week-to-week' with oblique strain

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Matt Calvert will be sidelined “week-to-week” due to an oblique strain sustained in a Feb. 19 game against the Nashville Predators.

The 27-year-old Calvert has nine goals and 11 points in 51 games for the Blue Jackets. He leads the team with three shorthanded goals and is tied amongst team forwards for most shorthanded ice-time per-game with 1:40. According to Natural Stat Trick, a majority of Calvert’s 5-on-5 shifts start in the defensive zone.

[Follow Puck Daddy on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tumblr]

The Columbus Dispatch pointed out that Calvert had been an important penalty killer for the Blue Jackets this season as well as a “significant contributor” on the team’s third and fourth lines.

The Blue Jackets are tied for 11th in the NHL with the Predators in penalty kill percentage at 82.2, and losing Calvert could impact this area of their special teams to a degree.

[Newsletter: Get 5 great stories from the Yahoo Sports blogs in your inbox every morning!]

The surging New York Rangers recently moved ahead of the Blue Jackets in the Metropolitan Division standings, knocking Columbus out of the top three. The Blue Jackets currently have 79 points in 58 games while New York has 80 points in 60 games. Since their 16-game winning streak, the Blue Jackets have gone 10-11-1.

– – – – – – –

Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

MORE FROM YAHOO SPORTS