The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated defenseman Luca Marrelli off the Injured/Non-Roster list and assigned him to the Cleveland Monsters, the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell announced today.

Boone Jenner, Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko scored for the Blue Jackets, and Monahan had two assists. Goaltender Jet Greaves, who has endured a heavy workload since before the holidays, allowed five goals on 26 shots.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated defenseman Luca Marrelli off of injured reserve, and reassigned him to the club’s AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.

The Vegas Golden Knights and Columbus Blue Jackets take the ice in NHL action at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 10 p.m. ET. The game airs on ESPN+. Get ready for this matchup with what you need to know ahead of Thursday's hockey action. Over/under: 6.5 Time: 10 p.m. ET

Brendan Smith's knee injury and subsequent meniscus surgery will sideline the veteran Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman for 3-4 months. This absence forces the team to rely more heavily on younger players as they navigate a challenging Eastern Conference schedule.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Brendan Smith underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee on Tuesday, January 6, and is expected to make a full recovery in three to four months,

Johnson is retiring after spending his last of 19 NHL seasons on the Columbus Blue Jackets. He spent seven years with the team earlier in his career.

The Blue Jackets needed help on the blue line, so they've signed malcontent defenseman Egor Zamula, who was recently suspended by the Pittsburgh Penguins for not reporting to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for an AHL assignment.

Laurence Gilman, 61, who has served as an assistant GM with three NHL franchises — the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs — was hired by Waddell to join the Blue Jackets front office as vice president of hockey operations.