The Winnipeg Jets are back on the ice in Colorado Springs today, but the biggest business on their calendar isn’t the practice schedule. By Monday afternoon, the club has to turn in its final 23-man roster, and the numbers are already forcing some decisions.
For now, Winnipeg sits with 26 healthy players - two goalies, nine defensemen and 15 forwards - after placing three players, Salomonsson, Duehr and Brown, on injured reserve to start the season. That means the Jets still have to sort out who gets sent down and whether they open with 13 forwards and eight defensemen or 14 forwards and seven defensemen.
Saturday brought one small bit of clarity: all four players the Jets placed on waivers Friday cleared.
There was also a note from Buffalo that could be worth keeping an eye on. Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reported that head coach Lindy Ruff said Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had a tweak and was removed from a game for precautionary reasons, while Alex Lyon is expected to miss a few days. It may not be a major development on its own, but it could be something to monitor as the Jets and Sabres continue down the road on a possible deal.
The Jets will practice in Colorado Springs today and again tomorrow, with team-building work also on the schedule before they head back to Manitoba to get ready for the start of the NHL regular season on Tuesday.
On the Moose side, the preseason work wrapped up Saturday with a 4-1 win in a rematch against the Wild. They are off today and will have a production day on Monday.
One other Jets storyline continues to linger: Winnipeg Sun reported that Skinner is set to carry the load in the Jets’ net after Hellebuyck’s exit demand, with the expectation that there will be plenty of pressure on those shoulders, especially if the Jets keep the backup job young.
In Other News...
Jets Just Addressed A Growing Goalie Problem Behind Hellebuyck
With Connor Hellebuyck away from training camp and a backup situation suddenly more delicate than the Jets would like, Winnipeg moved to shore up the position by bringing in Clay Stevenson on waivers from Washington. The addition gives the club a veteran option in camp and some immediate depth behind Stuart Skinner, while also letting the organization keep its prospects on their current path in the AHL rather than rushing anyone into a bigger role.
Stevenson arrives with professional experience in the Capitals organization, which is part of what made him an appealing pickup for Winnipeg at this moment. Washington had been bracing for the possibility of losing him and still has other goaltending choices in its AHL system, but for the Jets the bigger question remains how long they need to manage this behind-Hellebuyck uncertainty before the situation settles down. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Still Face One Tense Decision Before Opening Night
The Jets are still sorting through the final edges of their opening-night roster, with the club down to 24 healthy players after placing two players on waivers. One more move has to be made before the 4 p.m. CT deadline, which leaves Winnipeg with just enough time to decide how it wants to balance depth, flexibility and the last available spots on the roster.
What makes the situation trickier is the uncertainty still hanging over the waiver wire. There has been speculation about whether Winnipeg will claim a goalie, while the status of Danny Zhilkin and Henry Thrun remains unresolved. Away from the Jets own decisions, Logan Stanley also landed elsewhere, signing a one-year deal with the New York Islanders after a long stretch in free agency. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Just Lost Goalie Depth At The Worst Time
Goaltending insurance tends to matter most when the season is already beginning to ask for it, and the Jets made a depth move with some future value attached. Clay Stevenson, who spent parts of last season with Washington and its AHL affiliate in Hershey, is now in the Winnipeg organization after being available on waivers.
Stevenson has one year left on his contract and will be eligible to test unrestricted free agency after the 2026-27 season, which gives Winnipeg a relatively short runway to evaluate him. For now, the bigger point is simple enough: the Jets added a goalie with NHL and AHL experience, and they did it at a moment when teams are always looking to avoid being thin at the position. [Read more 🡒]