The Jets are back at work Thursday, and the biggest question hovering over tonight’s matchup with Anaheim is whether Josh Morrissey will be available.
Winnipeg held an optional practice as it tries to extend a strong start that already includes three straight wins and points in all four games to open the season. The Ducks come to town tonight, with the morning skate set for 10:30 AM CT and puck drop scheduled for 7 PM CT.
After the game, the conversation continues on the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show, which is set to begin around 9:40 PM CT.
There’s also action on the Moose side tonight. Winnipeg’s AHL club opens the road portion of its schedule in Grand Rapids, where it faces the team that eliminated it from the playoffs last season. That one gets underway at 6 PM CT.
On the injury front, Morrissey’s status remains the central issue for the Jets heading into the night. Winnipeg Sun reports that the team didn’t get any clarity from assistant coach Davis Payne during Thursday’s media availability, leaving the situation unresolved for now. The same report notes that it remains to be seen whether Winnipeg has made a recall from the Moose.
Elsewhere around the Jets, the Winnipeg Free Press has a piece on Bjorck and the patient approach around waiting for that first NHL point. The paper says he’s made several good plays and created some quality chances, with the feeling that his first point is more a matter of when than if.
The Free Press also has a feature introducing Mario Ferraro in a different way, taking readers beyond the rink and into a more personal look at the player.
And looking ahead, Saturday morning brings a milestone. The Illegal Curve Hockey Show will mark 16 years of Saturdays at 9 AM CT before wrapping up that long-running routine and then launching a daily show on Tuesday, October 13th at 3 PM CT.
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 🡒]