WINNIPEG – Another day, another injury blow to the Winnipeg Jets forward group.
Already without Nikolaj Ehlers and Morgan Barron, the Jets placed Mason Appleton on IR after the right winger had wrist surgery on Wednesday.
Appleton crashed into the boards awkwardly during the second period on Sunday after colliding with Seattle Kraken defenceman Carson Soucy and forward Andre Burakovsky.
Soucy was called for interference on the play after Appleton’s stick got caught in a hole in the glass that is in front of the timekeeper in the penalty box, causing his right wrist to be jammed.
“Hard to believe, right?” Bowness told reporters on Wednesday. “He had an operation this morning on his wrist. He’s probably out for anywhere between eight and 12 weeks, unfortunately.
“When he came in off the ice and (Bowness) talked to him, he couldn’t hold a stick, so right away you’re worried about that. It’s just unfortunate because he was playing very, very well, playing a lot of important minutes for the team and that line, doing a good job on the penalty kill. Those are important minutes that have to be replaced.”
Appleton has one goal and six points in 14 games this season and has spent a good chunk of time skating on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor – after Ehlers was sidelined with an undisclosed lower-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the past 12 games (and counting).
The Jets have gone out of their way to say Ehlers hasn’t suffered a setback of any kind and that they’re simply being cautious, so it was an important development when the dynamic winger was on the ice with head strength coach Jake Wolff on Wednesday morning.
There is still no timetable for Ehlers’ return.
“It’s status quo with him,” said Bowness. “It was a light skate and we will see how he feels (Thursday) coming in. That’s all I can tell you. It’s day-to-day with him now until we decide what’s the next step to take.”
In the short term, veteran winger Sam Gagner will move up to play on the top line. He got a taste of that role earlier this month.
“You have to be ready for anything. It’s a long season, there are going to be ups and downs, injuries, different things that happen. You have to prepare for any role,” Gagner told reporters. “Whatever is asked of me, I’ll do. They have a ton of skill. You want to support that. It’s important for me to skate and be available, get open, forecheck, all those different things – and make plays when they’re there. The way I play can help them. I have to focus on my game and getting it on the ice.”
After securing a split on the two-game road trip with games against the Kraken and Calgary Flames – one that included Blake Wheeler scoring his 300th NHL goal with 5.2 seconds to go and Scheifele converting a perfect pass from Josh Morrissey 54 seconds into OT – the Jets are set to open a three-game homestand on Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks.
On to your mailbag questions for the month of November:
With a healthy Ehlers and eventually Morgan Baron, what does this forward group look like? I’m assuming Jansen Harkins comes back out and one of Axel Jonsson-Fjallby or Saku Maenalanen. Both have looked really good out there and it would be tough to take either one out. – Brett Wilkinson
Let’s just say it’s a fluid situation for the Jets forward group, with Wednesday’s news that Appleton is headed to IR the latest example that things can change quickly. Although the timetable remains a bit cloudy, the first player to return is likely Ehlers, but in the meantime, the Jets will be looking at internal candidates Mikey Eyssimont and Jansen Harkins to fill the void, with Gagner getting a bump higher in the lineup.
A team can never assume full health, but your point about Jonsson-Fjallby and Maenalanen is well taken. At this stage, both look like NHLers who deserve to remain in the lineup. But it’s also important to remember that both of those players are still early in the process of nailing down full-time NHL employment. The same can be said for Barron, though he was playing some of his best hockey before going under the knife for wrist surgery.
On 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman touched on the possibility that maybe the Ottawa Senators and Jets might be trade partners. Have you heard anything of any conversations so far? Also what do you see both teams looking to upgrade on? – Eric Hjorleifson
Mr. Friedman has the Jets and Sens linked to possible trade talks … with the Jets playing well, who would they want to give up off the main roster and what would they want from Ottawa? I’m thinking Ottawa is looking for a top-six experienced defenseman and not a depth or minor leaguer. – Darren Cameron
Well, when a team’s general manager shows up in an arena when neither the parent club nor the farm team is playing, it’s bound to generate plenty of buzz around the NHL. Sens GM Pierre Dorion has since made it known that the trip was planned well in advance, but it’s been well-documented that Ottawa would like to upgrade the defence corps with a player with a bit more experience.
One can’t help but wonder if the Senators might be interested in a reunion with Dylan DeMelo, a guy who never really wanted to leave the nation’s capital but couldn’t come to terms on a contract agreement before he was traded to the Jets. DeMelo was a regular partner of Thomas Chabot and provided quality minutes there, much like he did previously with Josh Morrissey. Brenden Dillon would have plenty of appeal for the Senators, but the Jets aren’t interested in moving him.
As for the Jets, the Senators have plenty of intriguing forwards but not many are likely available in trade. One name that has been linked to the Jets in the past is former Tampa Bay Lightning winger Mathieu Joseph, who signed a four-year deal worth $11.8 million ($2.95 million AAV) on July 28, so it’s unlikely the Senators would be looking to move him. Joseph is a high-end penalty killer, but is off to a slow start offensively, with just one goal and three points in 15 games this season.
Still about the glut of D-men: With some teams indicating a need for D-men, which of the D-men might be most of interest to other teams? Or, in my opinion, they keep them all for this year. Frankly, Dylan Samberg hasn’t been great, Logan Stanley isn’t that good to begin with, and Ville Heinola is the same style as four others on the D crew already. Do you think the D crew is as deep as the public might believe? – Tony Landry
As is usually the case, the defencemen who attract the most interest from other teams are either not available or the price tag is extremely high. As for the status of the current crop of Jets D-men, Samberg has 23 total games of NHL experience. Growing pains are natural for a 23-year-old and he’s looking more comfortable as the season approaches the quarter point. Stanley has played a grand total of 100 games and had two strong outings before a foot injury knocked him out of the lineup, though there is ample room for improvement.
Heinola plays a similar style to some of the incumbents ahead of him on the depth chart, no doubt about that. How his situation develops over the course of this season will be very interesting to monitor. Will he eventually force his way onto the NHL roster, leading to the logjam being alleviated with a trade? That still looks like the most logical course of action. It’s always possible Heinola becomes a trade chip to upgrade the forward group, but it’s most likely he’ll earn a promotion before long.
The continued emergence of Josh Morrissey into the No. 1 D-man role is a major development. There is definitely organizational depth at the position when you look at those playing with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL, but there are very few teams in the NHL that aren’t constantly looking to upgrade – or at least bolster – the defence corps.
About the power play, it’s clearly not working well in games, and I’m curious what practice looks like. Are they still doing the same stuff under the assumption the structure is good and just hasn’t got the bounces, or does there seem to be recognition from coaching (Brad Lauer is running the power play, right?) that things need to change? It boggles my mind they haven’t put Cole Perfetti on the first unit yet, considering he’s been lethal there at every level of hockey he’s ever played. – Cody Magnusson
Here’s one of my theories about the Jets power play: Because it was a top-10 (and even top-five unit for multiple seasons), the expectation is that it should automatically reside there. So when the group is operating at 20 per cent efficiency and sitting in a tie for 19th spot in the NHL, it’s natural for alarm bells to go off.
There are times when it struggles to get anything going and there are others when the puck movement is crisp and it just clicks. The Jets still have some obvious weapons when it comes to both shooting and passing sprinkled throughout both units. What is obvious is that the Jets miss Ehlers, who has been limited to just two games this season after his overdue promotion to the top power-play unit.
Not having to worry about Ehlers as either a shooting or passing option has led several teams to focus on limiting the number of one-timers available to Kyle Connor on the right-wing side. Connor had eight power-play goals last season, second only to the 15 by Pierre-Luc Dubois (who has three in 14 games this season).
As for changes, it’s notable that Lauer decided to flip-flop Blake Wheeler and Gagner between the first and second units. As for Perfetti, there’s little doubt that promoting him to the top power-play unit is something the coaching staff has discussed. But given how the unit is being run, the only spot that truly fits his skill set is the down-low position, and part of that responsibility includes getting to the front of the net to provide a screen. He’s already absorbing a number of big hits this season, so subjecting him to the physical toll of that spot isn’t likely a consideration right now.
Could the high slot be an option? He could provide a one-timer option when the puck is run from Scheifele’s side (the left wing Alex Ovechkin spot), but at this stage, Perfetti is best suited to being on the half wall. The Jets aren’t about to remove Connor from that position after a slow start in terms of goal production.
Is it possible the Jets consider moving Perfetti onto the left-wing wall (on his strong side) and shifting Scheifele into the high slot position he occupied when Dustin Byfuglien and Patrik Laine were part of that first unit? It’s possible, but also limits the one-timer option for Scheifele when the puck is on Perfetti’s side.
All that’s to say that if the Jets integrate more motion into the power play and move the puck a bit more crisply, it stands to reason that the unit has the potential to rise from the middle to lower tier into the top 10, especially after Ehlers returns.
Which Jets player has surprised you the most in the early stages of this season? – Bayleigh Wiebe
Through 14 games, the Jets had a number of players with outstanding starts out of the gate, led by the brilliance of goalie Connor Hellebuyck and the steadiness of Morrissey, both in terms of leading the defence corps while also leading the team in scoring. The goal-scoring of Scheifele, leading the team with 10, has also been impressive, but the biggest development there is his renewed passion for the game and two-way effort. Adam Lowry’s strong start was not a surprise, he’s simply built on a much stronger second half to last season and his confidence got a boost from his appearance with Team Canada at the IIHF world championships.
But to answer your question, though, it’s probably Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, mostly because I didn’t know much about his game or know what to expect from him. While doing some research, the comparison to fellow Swede Carl Hagelin kept coming up and has proven to be accurate. Jonsson-Fjallby may not produce as much offence as Hagelin has over the course of his career, but he’s proven to be a disruptive force on the forecheck and has used his speed to create plenty of energy to go with some scoring chances. He’s also helped the penalty kill.
Jets associate coach Scott Arniel’s familiarity with the player was a benefit and Jonsson-Fjallby has not only fit in well, he’s jumped up the lineup as opportunities presented themselves due to the aforementioned injuries up front. This was a shrewd waiver claim and it will be interesting to see if Jonsson-Fjallby can continue to carve out a niche for himself as the season wears on. He has some similarities to the game of former Lowry linemate Brandon Tanev, though we haven’t seen Jonsson-Fjallby demonstrate the Gumby-like ability to bounce back up after countless shot blocks. But it’s still early.
As Jonsson-Fjallby gets more comfortable at the NHL level, it will be interesting to see how much complementary scoring he might be able to provide – since he had three double-digit goal-scoring seasons with the Hershey Bears in the AHL.
How are some of the Jets forward prospects doing? Specifically Brad Lambert, Chaz Lucius and Rutger McGroarty? How is their development coming along? Will anyone be pushing for a roster spot with the Jets as early as next year? – Lee Davis
Let me preface this by saying I haven’t seen any live Moose games yet this season, but certainly plan to before long. The Moose are off to a strong start as a team and they’ve got plenty of depth up front. What they don’t have is an abundance of high-end skill, so that’s where Lambert and Lucius can make an impact.
After his strong training camp, many expected Lambert to dominate. But it’s important to remember that he’s still only 18 years old and even if he’s been playing in a men’s league for several seasons, it’s still a big adjustment. There have definitely been some highlight-reel moments for Lambert as he’s notched two goals and one assist in six games, but he’s also missed time with an illness.
As for Lucius, he’s got two goals and four points and continues to work at pushing the pace. Lucius was used primarily at right wing last season at the University of Minnesota, but is back working at his natural position of centre with the Moose.
Both Lambert and Lucius will benefit from this time in the minors, and being on a good team with a strong culture will have a lasting impact on their development.
As for McGroarty, the 14th-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft (and fellow Jets first-rounder) is off to a strong start with the University of Michigan Wolverines, producing at nearly a point per game level (four goals, 10 points in 12 games) for a high-end team that is 9-3 this season and has high hopes.
All three players are expected to suit up at the 2023 world juniors in December and early January, with Lucius and McGroarty projected to play a valuable role for Team USA and Lambert expected to do big things for Finland. All three should help the Jets forward pipeline during the coming seasons, though it’s way too early to tell if any of them will be pushing for a full-time roster spot in 2023-24.