Blue Jackets’ Brandon Dubinsky NHL Career Likely Over

According to Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, Blue Jackets’ forward Brandon Dubinsky is unlikely to ever return to the NHL. Kekalainen told reporters including Aaron Portzline of The Athletic that Dubinsky that thanks to chronic wrist injury, he will “most likely” not play again.

#CBJ GM Jarmo Kekalainen said that C Brandon Dubinsky “most likely” won’t be able to play again because of his chronic wrist injury. Not a surprise, really, but straight from the GM.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) August 21, 2020

A second-round draft pick of the New York Rangers in 2004 Dubinsky will leave the NHL with 438 points in 823 games played. He started his career with the New York Rangers and move to Columbus in a 2012 trade that took Rick Nash to New York. Dubinsky came back to Columbus with Artem Anisimov and a first-round pick.

What Next For Blue Jackets?

If it turns out that Dubinsky plans to leave the game, the Blue Jackets will move him to LTIR and gain a bit of extra cap flexibility ahead of the 2020-21 season. He does have a remaining year on his deal and without that contract on the books—the second-highest cap hit on the team—it will give the team some space to make additional moves.

It probably shouldn’t be a difficult contract to move as many NHL franchises will be looking to cut costs and hit the cap floor without actually paying out the dollars.

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