Faced with yet another injury, this time to their most consistent defenseman, the Blue Jackets reached out to the St. Louis Blues for help.
In a deal announced earlier this morning, Columbus has acquired defenseman Jordan Leopold from the St. Louis Blues, in exchange for a 5th Round draft pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Leopold, 34 years old, was in his third year with the Blues. He appeared in seven games this season, registering no points, two penalty minutes and an even plus/minus rating. His best recent campaigns came in 2010-11 and 2011 - 12 campaigns for the Buffalo Sabres, appearing in 150 games over that span, with 23 goals and 36 assists. A Minnesota native, he is listed at 6'1" and 206 lbs.
The deal comes on the heels of yet another significant injury to the Columbus roster. Reliable blue-liner Fedor Tyutin went down with a knee injury after colliding with Jakub Voracek in Friday night's 4 - 3 Blue Jackets win over the Flyers. Tyutin was place on IR Saturday, and is expected to miss 4 - 6 weeks.
Leopold is expected to make his Columbus debut tonight against San Jose, a game that will also feature the return of Sergei Bobrovsky return to the lineup.