Veteran checking forward Matt Hendricks is headed back to the Winnipeg Jets. TSN’s Gord Miller reports that the Jets have acquired Hendricks from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 2020 seventh-round pick. Hendricks spent the 2017-18 season in Winnipeg.
Hendricks, 37, only played in 22 games this season for the Wild after suiting up for 60 games last season with the Jets. While he is unlikely to be a regular feature in the Winnipeg lineup for the rest of the season, Hendricks has the experience and familiarity to be a capable substitution in the bottom-six if need be. The gritty forward is also a good locker room presence and will be well-received in his return.
The Wild continue to move current players off the roster, but moving Hendricks is of little consequence. The impending free agent had spent most of the season watching from the press box and was unlikely to play a role down the stretch. In that case, a seventh-rounder is a fine return.
good pickup for the jets. a guy who knows the room, has experience in the playoffs with this group and for practically nothing. smart move