Elias Salomonsson appears to be on pace for a return that would give him a real shot to compete for a job when Winnipeg Jets training camp opens, or at the very start of the regular season.
That is a better outlook than the one the Jets laid out on April 30, when the club said the 21-year-old defenceman had undergone shoulder surgery and expected a five- to six-month rehab. Less than four months later, a source familiar with Salomonsson’s recovery said he is trending toward being ready around camp or the opening stretch of the season.
If he gets back in time for training camp, that would nudge him ahead of Winnipeg’s original timeline. Even a return at the start of the regular season would still land him near the early part of that five-to-six-month window.
Salomonsson’s rookie NHL season had already become a meaningful one before the injuries piled up. He made his debut on November 26th, 2025 and appeared in 32 games for Winnipeg during the 2025-26 campaign. His second stint with the Jets came with a bigger workload, and he averaged nearly four more minutes per game than he did during his first recall.
The final stretch, though, was derailed by a pair of setbacks. His NHL season ended on April 2nd after he suffered a concussion on a reverse hit from Jason Robertson in Dallas, which kept him out of Winnipeg’s last seven regular-season games. Once he was cleared, he joined the Manitoba Moose for their opening-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Admirals and played in two games.
That run ended on a rough note as well. Late in the series-clinching victory, Salomonsson stepped into what looked like a routine neutral-zone hit, but he came away worse for wear, sliding hard into the boards and suffering the shoulder injury that closed his season.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said before the NHL Draft in late June that Salomonsson’s recovery was moving along as expected and that he could continue with lower-body training.
There is still no exact date for his return, but if the current trajectory holds, Salomonsson could be back in the mix for a spot on the right side of Winnipeg’s defence rather than trying to fight his way into the lineup after the season has already started.
In Other News...
Jets White Out Security Failures Spark Bigger Questions About Playoff Events
A White Out street party meant to be part of the playoff atmosphere for Jets fans instead led to a fine and a closer look at how these big outdoor events are run. True North Sports and Entertainment was hit with a $12,000 penalty by Manitobas Liquor, Gaming & Cannabis Authority after a May 9 gathering in Winnipeg where regulators found security lapses that allowed minors using fake IDs to drink alcohol.
The LGCA also flagged multiple instances of underage drinking and said ID checks were not handled properly, prompting required changes to security and alcohol service procedures going forward. True North has since met the authoritys requirements and has not been handed any further compliance orders, but the episode has put a sharper spotlight on the risks that come with turning playoff weekends into citywide events. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Core Faces Big Expectations After Winnipegs Stunning Drop
After a stunning slide that left Winnipeg looking for answers, the conversation around the Jets has shifted quickly to what the core might still be capable of when the next season arrives. The projections lean on the same familiar names that have driven the club for years, a reminder that even in a league built on turnover, the Jets still expect their centerpieces to carry a heavy load.
Kyle Connor is again the most logical bet to finish at the top of the goal chart, while Mark Scheifele remains the driver in the playmaking and overall scoring columns. Around them, the rest of the roster picture has its own defined roles, from Gabriel Vilardi's place on the power play to the more physical work expected from Cole Koepke, Neal Pionk and Josh Morrissey, a snapshot of a team trying to turn last season's disappointment into a more stable identity. [Read more 🡒]