After a 6-1 loss to the Sabres in Buffalo on Monday, the Columbus Blue Jackets will face the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night at Nationwide Arena. Here’s what to look for in the first home game of the 2024-25 preseason:

STL @ CBJ

WEDNESDAY, 24.9.24 7:00 p.m. EST Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio

• It’s never fun to lose — especially by five points — but don’t pay too much attention to Monday’s result. Columbus fielded an overall young and inexperienced roster for the game, while the Sabres’ lineup consisted mostly of their regular NHL team. Buffalo has an abbreviated six-game preseason schedule due to their Global Series trip that opens the NHL season next Friday, so head coach Don Granato felt a little more urgency to get his group in regular-season shape. A 6-1 final score isn’t ideal, but let’s file this game under “no big deal.”
  

• Wednesday’s game could mean a little more. It’s a home game, but the lineup will feature nine surefires for opening night, compared to seven on Monday. Forwards Yegor Chinakhov, Kent Johnson, Sean Kuraly, Kirill Marchenko and newcomer James van Riemsdyk will be in the lineup, as will defensemen Erik Gudbranson, Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson (Jake Christiansen is in the lineup and is likely the seventh defenseman, although he’s not a surefire), along with goalie Elvis Merzlikins.
  

• It’s also the first game of the season for wingers James Malatesta and Gavin Brindley and defender Denton Mateychuk. Each of those three is just one good pre-season away from securing a place in the squad. I’m really excited to see what Mateychuk can do. He’ll wear the number 5.
  

• Merzlikins will likely see two periods of play, while free agent signing Zach Sawchenko gets the other 20 minutes. The 26-year-old arrived in Columbus in July after playing with San Jose, Carolina and Vancouver. Waddell signed him in 2022 when he was with the Hurricanes, so he has to find something about the goalie he likes. It’s not a stretch to consider him the fourth goalie in Columbus’ hierarchy of goalies (Merzlikins, Daniil Tarasov and Jet Greaves).
  

• The Blues will not let up in their third preseason game. They will have Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and Kasperi Kapanen on the ice, as well as defensemen Justin Faulk and Ryan Suter. A former Blue Jacket will also be in the St. Louis lineup. No, it’s not Alexandre Texier – instead, Scott Harrington, who is on a tryout contract with the Blues, will be on defense.