A promising step in Kieron Walton’s rise has been pushed back before it even started.
The Winnipeg Jets prospect recently underwent surgery after dealing with a lower-body injury, and the recovery will keep him from making his professional debut with the Manitoba Moose for another three to five weeks.
Walton’s setback comes after a rapid ascent that has made him one of the more intriguing young names in the Jets system. Drafted by Winnipeg in the sixth round in 2024, the 20-year-old winger has already built a reputation as a major scoring threat. At six-foot-six, he paired size with production last season, piling up 52 goals and 88 points in 62 games between Sudbury and Peterborough.
That kind of output had him lined up for the next step this season, but the surgery has put that move on hold for now.
Even without Walton in the lineup, the Moose have opened the year on a strong note. Manitoba carried a three-game winning streak into Wednesday’s game against the Grand Rapids Griffins and owns a 5-1-0-0 record, which is tied with two other teams for the second-best mark in the AHL.
The rookie group has helped drive that start. Lucas Wahlin has scored at a point-per-game pace through six games, while fellow Jets prospects Kevin He and Alfons Freij have also made an early impact. Walton is expected to join that mix once he’s ready to return from surgery.
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