Winnipeg’s blue line is in flux again, and the Jets are juggling both short-term help and longer-term hope.
Defenseman Elias Salomonsson will be away from the team indefinitely for personal reasons, head coach Scott Arniel told TSN’s Danielle Bain. Arniel didn’t offer a return timeline and asked fans to respect the young defender’s privacy. Salomonsson had already been out of the mix for Thursday’s win over the Vancouver Canucks as a healthy scratch, then missed Saturday’s practice after what was first thought to be an illness, according to NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton.
The 22-year-old’s season has been a rough one from the start. He didn’t make his debut until October 25th while finishing recovery from shoulder surgery in April, and since getting back into the lineup he has yet to record a point.
In six games, Salomonsson has a minus-five rating and four penalty minutes, with Winnipeg going 1-5-0 in those appearances. Even so, Arniel has kept giving him a heavy workload, using him for 18:20 per game on average.
That’s more than he saw in his rookie season last year, when he posted five points and averaged 17:58 across 32 games.
With Salomonsson out, Winnipeg will keep turning to forward-and-defender Tyrel Bauer on the blue line. Bauer is still in the first stretch of his NHL career and has two points in 11 games this season.
The Jets also made a move to shore up the position, recalling defenseman Henry Thrun under emergency conditions. Thrun has started the year with seven points in 13 games for the Manitoba Moose.
The 25-year-old spent time with both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Marlies last season, going scoreless in four NHL games while putting up 23 points in 55 games for the Calder Cup-winning Marlies. Over his NHL career, he has 25 points in 123 games.
He’s stepping in as a fill-in option after Haydn Fleury left Thursday’s game early with an injury. Fleury skated in full on Saturday, but he may still need more time before he’s ready to play.
There’s better news on Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg’s top defender is close to coming back from the wrist injury he suffered in the fourth game of the season, and Clinton reported that he returned to full-contact practice on Saturday.
That puts Morrissey in position to potentially return during Winnipeg’s four-game stretch over the next week. He had three points in four games before the injury and finished last season with 55 points in 77 games.
The Jets could try to get him back as soon as Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which would lessen the need for Thrun’s debut. A Morrissey return would also keep Fleury out, though Bauer could remain on the right side.
Beyond the immediate roster shuffle, Winnipeg’s newest prospect is drawing attention too. Swedish centerman Alexander Command was recently highlighted by NHL.com’s Jamie Thomas, who pointed to the traits that have made him stand out: agile, aggressive offense, chippy defense, and strong work in the face-off circle.
Those qualities made Command the centerpiece of the trade that sent Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils. Command has opened the year with 13 points in seven Swedish U20 games, which earned him a call-up to the SHL.
He hasn’t scored in seven pro games and has been used near the bottom of the lineup, but he remains a player to watch as Winnipeg looks to bring him to North America in the 2027-28 or 2028-29 seasons.
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The Lightning also come in needing a steadier effort away from home, where results have been harder to come by this season. Special teams could loom large, with both clubs bringing strong pieces to the ice and key players on each side capable of swinging the game in a hurry. For Tampa Bay, the bigger question is whether it can match Minnesotas pace and structure long enough to leave with points from a rink that has rarely been kind to it. [Read more 🡒]
Jakob Pelletier Keeps Delivering Despite Another Crunch Letdown
The Syracuse Crunch had another night where the result did not match the effort, falling 3-2 to the Hartford Wolf Pack in overtime at the Upstate Medical University Arena. Jakob Pelletier kept his recent surge rolling with a goal, and Lucas Mercuri added the other Syracuse tally, while Olivier Rodrigue turned aside 22 of 25 shots in a game that stayed tight from start to finish.
For the Lightning organization, Pelletiers production has become one of the more encouraging developments in Syracuse, even if the Crunch are still looking for the kind of finish that turns close games into points. Hartfords Callum Tung made 24 saves to get the win, leaving Syracuse with another frustrating one-goal loss and more proof that the offensive pieces are there, even if the payoff keeps slipping away late. [Read more 🡒]