Jets Recall Danny Zhilkin, Place Haydn Fleury On IR
The Jets announced they’ve recalled forward Danny Zhilkin from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Defenseman Haydn Fleury was placed on injured reserve in the corresponding move. He’s been diagnosed with a broken nose and bruised back after needing to be stretchered off the ice in last night’s game, with the team’s Mitchell Clinton noting he was discharged from the hospital and back around the team today.
Zhilkin could figure to make his NHL debut against the Oilers, although that’s uncertain. The 22-year-old is in his third season of pro hockey, all with the Jets organization. He was a third-round pick out of the OHL’s Guelph Storm in 2022, but because of his December birthday, he only needed to spend one post-draft year in juniors before making the jump to the AHL.
The 6’1″ pivot has understandably struggled to make much of an impact offensively in Manitoba, one of the AHL’s worst clubs over the past few years. He’s slowly been working on finding more minutes and upping his production, already reaching a career-high 14 points in 30 appearances this season.
The Moscow-born Canadian was a raw-skill pickup. He’s not much of a physical factor, nor is he an above-average skater, but his hockey sense and puckhandling skills have long been touted as potentially being NHL-caliber. His limited AHL production dropped him out of being a top-10 or even top-15 prospect in Winnipeg’s system by most rankings, but it appears he’ll get a chance in the coming days to reward the Jets’ faith.
Fleury’s diagnosis, a potential concussion notwithstanding, is close to the best-case scenario after a hospital visit. The 29-year-old had returned from a concussion just last month, though, so they’ll be highly cautious in his return-to-play protocol. The seventh overall pick of the 2014 draft has gone without a point and has a -7 rating in 17 contests for Winnipeg this year.
Snapshots: Marchand, Kings, Fleury, Flyers
Speaking with reporters this morning including Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link), Panthers winger Brad Marchand stated that had he not re-signed with Florida before free agency started, the Maple Leafs were the other team he was considering signing with. Johnston went on to add in a piece for The Athletic (subscription link) that Toronto is believed to have passed up on a chance to acquire someone in June to ensure they’d have the cap space to try to sign the 37-year-old. While there was an expectation that Florida couldn’t afford to keep him, he ultimately re-signed on a six-year, $31.5MM pact. Marchand, who exited tonight’s game in Toronto early, had a very strong first half of the season, picking up 23 goals and 23 assists in 40 games, putting him on pace for more than 90 points, a mark he has only reached once.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Kings center Anze Kopitar (lower body) and winger Joel Armia (upper body) are listed as day-to-day, per Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider (Twitter link). The injuries were sustained in Monday’s game against Minnesota. Kopitar has 21 points in 37 games in his final season while Armia has 16 points in 41 outings in his first season with them after coming over from Montreal in free agency. If one of them can’t play on Wednesday against San Jose, they do have an open roster spot available.
- The Jets announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Haydn Fleury was transported to hospital by ambulance following a hit from Vegas winger Keegan Kolesar. He was fully alert and moving his extremities at the time. The team is expected to provide a further update when more information becomes available.
- Despite a strong night on the scoreboard, it was a tough night on the injury front for the Flyers. The team announced (Twitter links) that winger Bobby Brink (upper body) and defenseman Jamie Drysdale left with injuries and did not return. Brink was injured on a hit from Jansen Harkins while Drysdale was injured by Ross Johnston, who was ejected for his hit on the play. There were no updates on either player after the game.
Jets Activate Haydn Fleury From Injured Reserve
The Jets announced they’ve activated defenseman Haydn Fleury from injured reserve. They’ve been operating with an open roster spot ever since sending Elias Salomonsson back to AHL Manitoba earlier this month, so no corresponding transaction is required.
Fleury has been in concussion protocol for over a month. He took a seemingly innocuous hit to the head in the second period in a game against the Canucks on Nov. 11, but had to leave the contest. It was the third documented concussion of Fleury’s career after he sustained two in the 2018-19 season with the Hurricanes.
While Fleury was a frequent healthy scratch last season, routinely serving as Winnipeg’s seventh defenseman, he’s yet to sit for a game for non-injury-related reasons this year. His concussion, though, plus a minor knee injury in October, has limited him to 15 appearances. He’s gone without a point, posting a -5 rating while averaging 14:52 of ice time per game.
The left-shot Fleury will skate on his off side in third-pairing duties alongside Logan Stanley as he returns to the lineup tonight against the powerhouse Avalanche, per Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press. He replaces Luke Schenn, who’ll sit as a healthy scratch for the first time in six games.
Playing on the right is a new look for Fleury, who spent most of his time in the early going alongside Neal Pionk while Dylan Samberg was rehabbing a broken wrist, sometimes dropping to third-pairing duties with Schenn. In fact, tonight marks Winnipeg’s first game of the season with a fully healthy defense corps. Fleury exited the lineup one game before Samberg made his return.
Jets Activate Dylan Samberg, Gustav Nyquist From Injured Reserve
The Jets announced they’ve activated defenseman Dylan Samberg and winger Gustav Nyquist from injured reserve. Both will return to the lineup tonight against the Kraken. Winnipeg placed defenseman Haydn Fleury and winger Cole Koepke on IR in their places to stay at the 23-player roster limit.
Tonight marks Samberg’s season debut. The 26-year-old sustained a broken wrist in training camp and required surgery. He’s fresh off landing a three-year, $17.25MM commitment from the Jets in restricted free agency as he returns for his fifth NHL season. The 2017 second-round pick emerged as a core piece of their top four last year, seeing his ice time jump to over 21 minutes per game while serving as the left-hand man for Neal Pionk. In those expanded minutes, Samberg recorded 20 points and a +34 rating in 60 appearances as he and Pionk dominated play to the tune of a 56.7 xGF%, per MoneyPuck.
To say Winnipeg has sorely missed Samberg’s services would be an understatement. They’ve elevated fellow large lefty Logan Stanley into his spot with Pionk while he’s been sidelined, and it hasn’t gone well. The 2016 first-rounder’s seven points and +7 rating in 16 games are quite strong at first glance, but the underlying numbers aren’t there. They’re outscoring opponents 8-3 due to spectacular goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck while they’re on the ice, but are controlling just 42.1% of expected goals and 43.2% of shot attempts. Stanley is bound for a downward slide soon, based on those numbers, so they’re happy to get Samberg back in that spot before it has a chance to happen.
Nyquist is returning from a much briefer absence. He’s sat out the last five games with an undisclosed injury early on Oct. 30 against the Blackhawks. He’ll be returning in a sheltered fourth-line role with Tanner Pearson and Parker Ford after getting consistent middle-six deployment to start the season, the team’s Mitchell Clinton relayed. That’s because Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti both came off IR in Nyquist’s absence, pushing him down the depth chart.
Winnipeg signed the 36-year-old to a one-year, $3.25MM deal in free agency to add depth in the wake of losing Nikolaj Ehlers to the Hurricanes on the open market. The 14-year vet was coming off a major step back in production following his career-high 75 points with the Predators in 2023-24. He mustered just 11 goals and 28 points in 79 games split between Nashville and Minnesota before staying in the Central Division in free agency with the Jets. He’s had his minutes slashed to 12:19 per game with Winnipeg and is still looking for his first goal of the season but has managed five assists and a +1 rating in 11 appearances.
Fleury is in concussion protocol after departing Tuesday’s game against the Canucks earlier, head coach Scott Arniel said. The IR placement rules him out for the next three games. He’ll be eligible to return on Nov. 21 against the Hurricanes if he clears protocol by then. He’d played a regular role to start the year with Samberg out, but was likely going to come out of the lineup anyway. The 29-year-old had yet to record a point through 15 appearances and logged a -5 rating in under 15 minutes of ice time per game.
Koepke has already been out since sustaining an undisclosed injury against the Sharks on Nov. 7, so the placement only rules him out for tonight’s contest. He’s technically eligible for activation on Saturday against the Flames, a distinct possibility since he’s only considered day-to-day. After signing with the Jets over the offseason, the 27-year-old has two assists and a -4 rating in 14 games.
Jets Reassign Kale Clague
The Jets announced they’ve reassigned defenseman Kale Clague to AHL Manitoba. He doesn’t need waivers because he’s been on the Jets’ active roster for fewer than 30 days since last clearing them, which happened back on Oct. 2.
Clague, 27, was up with Winnipeg for just one game and didn’t draw into the lineup. He came up earlier in the week after fellow rearguard Haydn Fleury took a shot off the kneecap and was rendered unavailable for Monday’s game against the Islanders. Fleury’s absence is already behind him, though, as the team’s Mitchell Clinton reflects he’s expected back in third-pairing duties with Luke Schenn tonight against the Flyers.
Winnipeg is Clague’s fourth NHL organization. He was a second-round pick by the Kings back in 2016. After failing to advance past a fringe NHL role with the club, he was claimed off waivers by the Canadiens during the 2021-22 season. He finished out the year before being non-tendered by Montreal and signing with the Sabres in free agency. Clague went on to sign three straight one-year, two-way deals with the Sabres before reaching unrestricted free agency last summer. He was a Day 2 signing by the Jets, who matched his two most recent deals with Buffalo that carried a league-minimum NHL salary and a $475K AHL salary.
The 6’0″ lefty has 94 games of NHL experience and will continue to be one of the Jets’ primary recall options in case of short-term injuries like Fleury’s. The Regina, Saskatchewan native had a career high of 39 points in 69 games with AHL Rochester last year. He was held without a point and had an even rating in his Manitoba debut last week before getting recalled.
With Clague down, Winnipeg has an open roster spot. They started the year with 14 forwards and seven defensemen, but went to 13 and eight with Fleury’s short-term absence, sending Brad Lambert down earlier this week to accommodate Clague’s recall. None of their players on injured reserve – Adam Lowry, Cole Perfetti, or Dylan Samberg – are close to a return. It’s unclear if they plan to operate with an open spot for a while or if they’ll bring someone else up from the minors in the coming days.
Jets Recall Kale Clague, Assign Brad Lambert
The Winninepg Jets recalled defenseman Kale Clague ahead of Sunday morning’s practice. He took the ice in the spot of Haydn Fleury, who did not skate due to a knee injury, per Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press. Jets head coach Scott Arniel designated Fleury as out day-to-day with a lower-body injury after practice, per NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton.
Fleury appeared to sustain his injury after blocking a shot off of his kneecap in the second period of Saturday’s win over the Los Angeles Kings. He took to the ice for a few laps before the start of the third period, but ended up back in the Jets’ locker room before the period got underway.
Fleury played in both of Winnipeg’s games to start the season. he managed no notable stat changes, aside from a minus-one. Even without a padded stat line, back-to-back appearances was a positive step forward for a career-long extra defenseman. The most Fleury has played in a single season currently sits at 45 games – a mark he reached with the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2019-20 season. He scored 14 points that year. His 39 games with Winnipeg last season rank second. He complimented those appearances with seven assists and a minus-12.
Winnipeg will turn to Clague as their first injury fill-in. The 27-year-old defender recorded 10 goals, 39 points, and a plus-three in 69 games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans last season. He signed a one-year, $775K contract with the Jets on July 1st, helping to build out a blue-line depth that Winnipeg has had to call on early. Clague will offer the left-hand shot needed to replace Fleruy, though he’ll still have to compete with right-shot extra defenseman Colin Miller for minutes should Winnipeg need a replacement.
To make room to recall Clague, Winnipeg has also assigned top prospect Brad Lambert to the minor-leagues. Lambert was serving as a press box forward for the Jets early in the season. He scored seven goals and 35 points in 61 games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose last season. He also appeared in five NHL games, and recorded one assist. Lambert was the 30th-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft but hasn’t yet proven his worth at the NHL level. He’ll return to the minors as a strong scoring presence, with 90 points in 125 AHL games on his career.
West Notes: Sharks, Fleury, Toropchenko
Earlier today, beat writer for the San Jose Sharks, Max Miller, shared a few injury updates from the team. According to head coach Ryan Warsofsky, defensemen Jack Thompson and Lucas Carlsson, as well as forward Egor Afanasyev, all skated with the rehab group today and are close to returning.
The former two won’t have any impact on the Sharks’ roster upon their return, as neither blueliner cracked San Jose’s opening night roster out of camp. Still, Thompson would likely be a top recall candidate if the Sharks run into any early injury trouble on the blue line, given he scored four goals and 10 points in 31 games for the team last season, averaging 15:47 of ice time per game.
Afanasyev is more of a question mark. He’s in his first year back in the North American professional circuit after spending one season with the KHL’s CSKA Moskva, scoring seven goals and 21 points in 53 games. Given that he’s on the regular injured reserve as opposed to the non-roster injured reserve, it stands to reason that Afanasyev will join the Sharks when healthy. Still, despite the rebuilding nature of the roster, San Jose doesn’t have a ton of places to put him unless he takes a fourth-line role.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- Already missing Dylan Samberg for the first month of the regular season, the Winnipeg Jets could be without another piece from their blue line. In today’s game against the Los Angeles Kings, according to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press, defenseman Haydn Fleury sustained a lower-body injury and didn’t return for the third period. Later in the afternoon, Murat Ates of The Athletic provided added context to Fleury’s injury, indicating that he took a puck off the side of his kneecap.
- Despite getting the win against the Calgary Flames, the St. Louis Blues were missing a forward in this afternoon’s matchup. Before the drop of the puck, Lou Korac of The Hockey News reported that Alexey Toropchenko is dealing with upper-body and lower-body soreness, causing his absence. Considering the type of injury, there is no reason to expect any long-term issues.
Jets Sign Haydn Fleury To Two-Year Extension
The Winnipeg Jets have announced a two-year, $1.9MM contract extension for defenseman Haydn Fleury. The deal was first reported by Murat Ates of The Athletic, who shares that it will carry a cap hit of $950K. More specifically, Fleury will be paid $1MM in salary in year-one, and $900K in year two, per PuckPedia. Fleury appeared in just 39 NHL games this season after a mid-season knee injury held him out for much of January and February.
Fleury recorded seven assists, six penalty minutes, and a minus-12 during the regular season. He returned to full health in time for the postseason, and chipped in an additional two assists and eight penalty minutes in eight games. It was, by and large, another quiet season for the 2014 seventh-overall pick. He filled a firm, third-pair role on the Jets roster, and only earned go-to minutes as the result of injury or other’s mistakes. But through his shortened season were flashes of stout improvements to his game away from the puck. Fleury ranked fourth on the Jets blue-line in hits-per-60 minutes this season, with a 4.63 average placing him above booth Neal Pionk (4.49) and Dylan Samberg (2.64). Fleury also recorded the second-highest blocks-per-60 minutes with a 5.40 average, behind only Samberg (5.67).
Those are strong improvements for a player who often looked unable to jump off the page in any one way. Even with a mid-season injury, Fleury’s 39 appearances this year are his most since the Carolina Hurricanes’ 2019-20 season, when he recorded 14 points in 45 games. He’s now appeared solely in the NHL through five of the last six seasons, earning extra-defender roles with each of the Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken, and Tampa Bay Lightning. He may not be the flashiest player, but Fleury seems a reasonable bet to round out Winnipeg’s blue-line depth. They’ll cement him to that role for the next two seasons with a cost-effective deal.
Winnipeg Jets Notes: Connor, Morrissey, Schenn, Fleury
Although the Winnipeg Jets extended a few of their pending unrestricted free agents shortly before the end of the regular season, they still have a few to iron out. One of which is winger Kyle Connor, who’s eligible for an extension on July 1st.
According to Murat Ates of The Athletic, he’s fully expecting the Jets to make Connor’s extension a priority this summer. It would be the second contract extension that the University of Michigan alum has signed in Winnipeg, following the seven-year, $50 million deal that was signed in 2019.
Connor’s next deal is sure to include a substantial raise, considering his impressive average of over a point per game for the last seven years, along with multiple 30- and 40-goal seasons, and two campaigns with over 90 points. With the salary cap continually increasing, the Jets should face no financial issues. The only hiccup could be Connor’s desire to stay in Manitoba.
Other Jets notes:
- In a report from TSN’s John Lu, defenseman Josh Morrissey won’t require surgery on his injured knee from Game 6 of Winnipeg’s Round Two series against the Dallas Stars. Still, it wouldn’t have mattered to the Jets’ Stanley Cup aspirations, as Morrissey shared he would have been done for the postseason regardless. He’ll be ready in time for training camp in September, at any rate.
- Morrissey wasn’t the only injured player on Winnipeg’s blue line. According to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press, trade deadline acquisition Luke Schenn had been playing through the playoffs with a fractured rib. Schenn didn’t let the injury affect his physicality, as the veteran blue liner collected 47 hits in nine games after purportedly suffering the fracture.
- Staying on the Jets’ blue line, team color analyst Mitchell Clinton shared that depth defender Haydn Fleury would love to stay in Winnipeg for the foreseeable future. Fleury, the pending unrestricted free agent, appeared in 37 games for Winnipeg this year, tallying seven assists while averaging 15:56 of ice time per game.
Logan Stanley Set To Be Healthy Scratch For Jets
Despite a clean bill of health, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 4 against the Dallas Stars, per Mike McIntyre of Winnipeg News.
Known for his physical presence, Stanley was injured in Game 6 of the team’s first-round matchup against the St. Louis Blues. Before his injury, he posted 42 penalty minutes in five games and had no points and a negative plus-minus to show for it. The massive 6’7” presence could give the team a physically imposing force on the back end, but his style of play may not be the best matchup against Mikko Rantanen and the Stars’ skill-heavy attack. The 26-year-old recorded one goal, 14 points, 88 hits, 76 blocked shots, and 78 penalty minutes in 63 regular-season contests this season.
As the Jets look to even the series, Haydn Fleury will remain slotted into the lineup on the team’s third defensive pairing alongside veteran Colin Miller. Fleury recorded seven assists and a minus-12 in 39 regular-season games. However, his playoff metrics have looked much better, as he’s produced a plus-two rating and chipped in two assists in five games thus far. Additionally, he has averaged 17:24 of ice time per game in the playoffs — a solid increase from his regular season average of 15:56 — showcasing a growing level of trust in the 28-year-old’s play. That figure was certainly inflated by their double-overtime victory in Game 7 of the first round. However, that opportunity provided Fleury with the platform to highlight the impact Fleury can have on the blue line, as he logged a career-high 33:02 after Josh Morrissey left in the first period with an injury.
Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel recently told media, including NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers, that Fleury provides the team with a mobile option on the back end. “Again, another skillset. He’s real mobile, he can skate out of trouble. Another guy that can be a part of that rush, a part of what we’re talking about getting after Dallas here and getting on our toes. And that’s what he brings to our game,” Arniel said.