The Winnipeg Jets will have to get through Friday night without Josh Morrissey, but the latest word is encouraging: the star defenseman is day-to-day after leaving Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche with an upper-body injury.
Morrissey was forced out of that game after logging only 9:32 of ice time, and his status will keep him out against the Anaheim Ducks.
It’s a frustrating pause for a player who had started the season rolling. Through Winnipeg’s first three games, the Calgary native had already collected three assists while averaging about 23 minutes a night.
His best work came in Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, Winnipeg’s first victory of the season. Morrissey set up two power-play goals and fired seven shots on net in that one.
Even with the injury, the Jets have kept themselves among the league’s early success stories. After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season and opening the year without three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who is sitting out after requesting a trade, Winnipeg was not expected to take a step forward.
Instead, the club has opened with three straight 3-2 regulation wins. Stuart Skinner and waiver claim Clay Stevenson have formed a goalie tandem that has held up far better than many expected, and Kyle Connor’s strong start has given the offense a real push.
Wednesday’s win over Colorado was especially eye-catching because Winnipeg finished it off without Morrissey and still moved to the top of the Central Division with seven points.
In Other News...
Jets' First Regulation Loss Puts One Early Concern In Focus
The first regulation loss of the season arrived in a lopsided way for Winnipeg, as the Jets fell 5-1 to the Anaheim Ducks and saw a three-game winning streak come to an end. Kyle Connor supplied the lone goal for the Jets in his 700th NHL game, but the night belonged to a Ducks group that got an early lift from Judd Caulfield, who scored his first NHL goal.
For Winnipeg, the bigger concern was how little traction the offense found when the game tilted against it. The Jets could not capitalize on their chances with the extra skater, and when a night like this turns into chasing the game, the margin for error gets thin in a hurry. It was only one loss in a long season, but it did put an early pressure point in view. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Desperation Just Put Connor Hellebuyck Back In The Spotlight
The Rangers goaltending situation has pushed them into the kind of desperation that naturally pulls another teams star into the conversation, and this time its Connor Hellebuyck back in the spotlight. With Igor Shesterkin out for the season and Joonas Korpisalo unavailable for several weeks, New Yorks need in net has become impossible to ignore, which is why the idea of a blockbuster swing at Winnipegs Vezina-caliber starter is making the rounds as a theoretical fix.
It is still only a proposal, not a real negotiation, but the concept shows how far the Rangers might have to go if they wanted to chase a true answer between the pipes. Any such move would come with major obstacles on Winnipegs side, starting with the fact that Hellebuyck controls his fate, and ending with the sort of draft-and-player package it would take to even get the Jets to listen. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Get Encouraging OEL Update But One Wait Remains
Oliver Ekman-Larsson was back on the ice for practice after the head injury he took in a game, a small but meaningful step for the Maple Leafs as they try to sort through their blue-line health. It does not guarantee he is ready for the next game, but it at least gives Toronto something more encouraging than a blank injury update, especially at a point in the schedule when every available defenseman matters.
For Winnipeg, the broader lesson is familiar: availability can shape the entire conversation around a team, whether it is a veteran defenseman easing back into practice or Connor Hellebuyck still sitting out and leaving fans watching the situation closely. The Jets keep waiting for clarity on his status, and one supporter has even turned that wait into a running online tally, a sign of just how much the uncertainty around their star goaltender has taken hold. [Read more 🡒]