Jackets' Provorov suffers apparent thumb injury vs. Canucks

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov exited his team's 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night with an upper-body ailment.

Provorov appeared to injure his thumb in the second period after being tripped by Canucks forward Elias Pettersson and colliding into the boards. He was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the game.

The 27-year-old ranked second on the Blue Jackets in average ice time (23:55) entering Friday's game. He logged two goals and eight points in his first 25 games of the campaign and assisted on Damon Severson's tally before exiting in Vancouver.

Provorov is considered one of the top trade chips this season. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and counts for $4.725 million against the cap. Utah reportedly checked in on his availability in October.

The Blue Jackets currently sit in seventh place of the Metropolitan Division with a 11-12-3 record and sixth with a .481 points percentage.