The Winnipeg Jets will say hello to an old friend, as they have reclaimed Marko Dano off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche. The Jets have immediately assigned Dano to the minor leagues, meaning they were the only team to put in a claim. Josh Brown meanwhile, who was on waivers with Dano, has cleared and can be assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Dano, 23, is reaching the end of the line as a top prospect after flaming out of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks and now Avalanche organizations. He’s been given an opportunity at the NHL level with four different franchises now, and has been unable to assert himself with any of them. Still, he’ll return to a Jets organization that is known for its strong development system. His progress may have been slowed the last few seasons by the lack of consistent playing time, something he’ll surely receive in the minor leagues with the Manitoba Moose.
The Moose are now without Kristian Vesalainen for the rest of the season given his recent departure to the KHL, and could use another high-end forward to help them in their pursuit of the Calder Cup. Dano has only actually played in 89 regular season games in the minor leagues since debuting in 2013-14, meaning a full season in the AHL might be exactly what he needs to turn the corner in his career.