The Jets find themselves in a tough situation with star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck out for several more weeks. In the meantime, they’ve only won one of four games without him and as a result, they now sit sixth in the Central Division and outside a playoff spot.
However, it doesn’t appear that Winnipeg will be looking for some short-term help. In the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, The Athletic’s Chris Johnston reported that the Jets aren’t shopping for a netminder. Instead, they’re content going with backup Eric Comrie and prospect Thomas Milic until the back-to-back Vezina winner returns.
Comrie, a pending unrestricted free agent, had a great return season in 2024-25, posting a strong 2.39 GAA with a .914 SV%, his best numbers since his last year in Winnipeg in the 2021-22 campaign. Things haven’t gone as well this season, however, as those marks check in at 3.02 and .897 respectively, a little below league average through his first eight appearances. Still, he has shown enough over his stints with the Jets to warrant some trust to try to get them through this stretch.
As for Milic, he’s in his third professional season after splitting time between AHL Manitoba and ECHL Norfolk in an effort to get him as much game action as possible; he logged 90 games between the two leagues over the last two seasons. This year, he was off to a strong start with the Moose before being recalled as he had a 2.14 GAA and a .921 SV% in nine outings.
With Winnipeg starting a back-to-back road set on Friday, it seems likely that Milic will make his NHL debut in the near future. If he does well, that would go a long way toward giving GM Kevin Cheveldayoff the confidence to stay the course while waiting for Hellebuyck to return.