Blue Jackets at Panthers

BLUE JACKETS (26-23-1) at PANTHERS (35-11-5)

Blue Jackets projected lineup
Patrik Laine -- Boone Jenner -- Oliver Bjorkstrand
Jakub Voracek -- Cole Sillinger -- Yegor Chinakhov
Gustav Nyquist -- Sean Kuraly -- Max Domi
Brendan Gaunce -- Jack Roslovic -- Justin Danforth
Gabriel Carlsson -- Andrew Peeke
Vladislav Gavrikov -- Adam Boqvist
Gavin Bayreuther -- Dean Kukan
J-F Berube
Jet Greaves
Scratched: Emil Bemstrom, Jake Christiansen
Injured: Alexandre Texier (hand), Jake Bean (lower body), Eric Robinson (lower body), Elvis Merzlikins (lower body), Joonas Korpisalo (lower body), Zach Werenski (upper body)
Panthers projected lineup
Carter Verhaeghe -- Aleksander Barkov -- Maxim Mamin
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Sam Bennett -- Anthony Duclair
Mason Marchment -- Anton Lundell -- Sam Reinhart
Frank Vatrano -- Eetu Luostarinen -- Patric Hornqvist
MacKenzie Weegar -- Aaron Ekblad
Gustav Forsling -- Radko Gudas
Lucas Carlsson -- Brandon Montour
Jonas Johansson
Sergei Bobrovsky
Scratched: Noel Acciari, Ryan Lomberg
Injured: Markus Nutivaara (lower body), Joe Thornton (undisclosed), Olli Juolevi (undisclosed)
Status report
Werenski is day to day after the defenseman played a team-high 25:17 in a 4-3 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. ... The Blue Jackets recalled Bemstrom, a forward, and Christiansen, a defenseman, from Cleveland of the American Hockey League on Thursday and placed Merzlikins, a goalie, on injured reserve, retroactive to Feb. 17. … Columbus goalie Daniil Tarasov is out for the season after having surgery on his right hip Wednesday; his recovery time is expected to be six months. … Johansson will start and make his Panthers debut. ... Vatrano will play in place of Lomberg, a forward who will be a healthy scratch. ... Florida did not hold a morning skate Thursday.