The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned Markus Nutivaara and Josh Anderson to the Cleveland Monsters to open the NHL season.
TRANSACTION: Markus Nutivaara assigned to #CLEMonsters by #CBJ, Josh Anderson loaned for conditioning. https://t.co/sAFUrKF7mW
— Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) October 5, 2017
Josh Anderson being sent down is no surprise. He just reported to the team after signing his contract on Monday and is likely to need some time to get up to game speed. He likely needs all the conditioning work he can get to catch up after missing Torts’ notoriously difficult training camp.
Markus Nutivaara is a bit of a shocker. The team has been adamant that they would open the season with 13 forwards and 8 defenseme on the roster. These moves, with no corresponding moves, mean that the team will only have 22 out of 23 roster spots filled. They will also have no spare forwards for the back to back on Saturday night in Chicago.
Stay tuned for further updates.