Blue Jackets’ Brandon Saad leaves game with upper-body injury

Oilers Nikita Nikitin stands up Jackets Brandon Saad in the neutral zone and Saad heads off the ice with an injury.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Brandon Saad left Friday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers and did not return.

At 15:18 of the first period, Saad was on the receiving end of a Nikita Nikitin hit at centre ice. Saad made it to the bench and remained in the game, but eventually the decision was made to take him out.

After the contest, John Tortorella told reporters that Saad will not travel with the club to Philadelphia where they next play the Flyers.

Saad leads the Blue Jackets in goals with 24, and has added 17 assists in his first season with Columbus after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in the summer.

He was the team’s lone all-star representative in Nashville.

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