Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers Set To Return For Game 6
Star Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers is set to return for Winnipeg’s potential series-clinching Game 6 in their series against the Blues tonight, the team announced.
Ehlers has been dealing with a foot injury that’s kept him out of the Jets’ first five playoff games and all but two contests since April 3. He’s been skating in a non-contact jersey in practice since Wednesday and shed the designation for the first time this morning, the team’s Mitchell Clinton relayed. Winnipeg has managed a 3-2 series lead without him, but as they travel to St. Louis for Game 6, the home team has won every game in the series thus far.
His return comes as first-line center Mark Scheifele exits the lineup due to an undisclosed injury he sustained in the first period of Game 5. The Jets were quick to rule out their top pivot yesterday, and he didn’t accompany the team on the trip to Missouri.
Ehlers’ return will be imperative as he looks to help Winnipeg’s offense sustain Scheifele’s loss. During the regular season, the pending unrestricted free agent fell just short of setting a career-high in points with 63 (24 goals, 39 assists) in 69 games.
Ehlers will skate in his usual second-line role with captain Adam Lowry elevated from third-line duties to center him and Cole Perfetti. Normal No. 2 center Vladislav Namestnikov moves up to replace Scheifele between Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi.
Lower in the lineup, this morning’s line rushes indicate depth center Dominic Toninato is set to make his first playoff appearance since 2021 between Alex Iafallo and Brandon Tanev. He’s coming in for Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who played the first five games of the series but will now serve as a healthy scratch despite contributing a goal, assist, and 19 hits in his limited minutes.
West Notes: Landeskog, Copley, George, Vilardi, Ehlers, Hronek
After flirting with an official comeback in Games 1 & 2, Gabriel Landeskog will suit up for the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3. The NHL proudly announced that Landeskog will play in his first game for the first time in 1,032 days.
Landeskog’s return to the NHL minutes is one of the most remarkable comebacks in professional sports. After captaining the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, the Swedish winger underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, which is an operation more inclined to return an individual to a generic standard of mobility rather than professional sports. Through intense willpower, Landeskog was able to overcome.
It’ll be important for the rest of the Avalanche, too. Based on multiple interviews with players on the team, the void of Landeskog has been present for some time, and having him back in the lineup, even for a few shifts, should lead to intense motivation.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- The Los Angeles Kings have switched up their emergency third goalies for Game 2. The Kings announced they’ve recalled netminder Carter George from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, and have reassigned Pheonix Copley in a corresponding roster move. Should George play, which is incredibly unlikely, it would be the first NHL appearance of his career.
- There are a few injury updates for the Winnipeg Jets as their opening-round series transitions to St. Louis. Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reported that forward Gabriel Vilardi will travel with the team while Nikolaj Ehlers will not. Still, it’s important to note that Vilardi has yet to practice without a non-contact jersey, meaning he could remain a ways away from returning.
- Team Czechia will have a quality defenseman join them for their IIHF World Championship gold medal repeat bid. Earlier today, it was announced that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek will join his international team for the upcoming tournament. It’ll be the first time since the summer of 2022 that Hronek has played in the tournament when he tallied two assists in 10 contests.
Nikolaj Ehlers Out Week-To-Week With Foot Injury
Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers is out week-to-week with the foot injury he aggravated in a collision with an official against the Blackhawks on Saturday, head coach Scott Arniel said today (via Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press).
Ehlers’ status for the beginning of Winnipeg’s first-round series against the second wild card in the Western Conference is now highly doubtful. A week-to-week designation likely sidelines him for the first two games of the series at the very least, although that timeline this late in the regular season could keep him out for the entire first round – or even longer.
That’s a humongous blow to the President’s Trophy winners as they attempt to win their first playoff series since 2021. Ehlers, a perennial top-six producer despite receiving less-than-expected deployment, ranks third on the Jets in scoring with 24-39–63 in 69 games. He also missed a stretch of games earlier in the year with a lower-body injury. It’s the third time in four seasons Ehlers has missed at least 10 games due to injury.
Ehlers’ performance this season is the second-best of his career on a per-game basis, and it also comes in the final season of his seven-year, $42MM contract. Might the pending unrestricted free agent have played his final regular-season game in Winnipeg? He’ll look to at least get back to that production if the Jets can win enough playoff games without him to extend his season, building on what’s been an extremely underwhelming playoff reputation so far in his career. The 29-year-old has just four goals in 37 career postseason outings.
Luckily, the Jets may not be down a pair of top-six fixtures when their postseason begins. Arniel also said that top-line winger Gabriel Vilardi has been upgraded to day-to-day as he nears a return from the upper-body injury that’s kept him out since March 23. Like Ehlers, he’s a member of the 60-point club with a career-best 27-34–61 stat line in 71 showings. He spent the year stapled to Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele and will return to that role when he gets back in the lineup, whether that’s in their final regular-season game tomorrow against the Ducks, Game 1 of the playoffs, or later in their first-round series.
It’s still a big bite out of the league’s third-ranked offense and will mean one of Alex Iafallo or Nino Niederreiter remains elevated in a top-six role when the postseason begins, even if Vilardi is cleared to play. Ehlers also has the best possession impacts of any qualified Winnipeg forward, with a 53.3 CF% and +10.1 expected rating at even strength.
Minor Transactions: 4/13/25
As is often the case at this time of year, there has been an influx of minor roster moves. Teams are shutting players down for the season or trying to give someone a game off with the playoffs approaching, leading to a busier shuffle between the NHL and AHL than usual. Here’s a rundown of today’s moves:
- The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Dakota Mermis from AHL Toronto on an emergency basis. On Saturday, the Maple Leafs played short one defenseman, qualifying them for a cap-free emergency recall. It’s the second promotion for Mermis since he rejoined Toronto following his waiver claim from Utah back in February. Mermis has played in 32 games for the Marlies this season, notching seven assists.
- The Jets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled center Dominic Toninato from AHL Manitoba. He’s taking the place of Nikolaj Ehlers on the roster after he exited Saturday’s game following a collision with a linesman. Toninato has been held off the scoresheet in four games with Winnipeg while adding 18 goals and 18 assists in 60 appearances with the Moose.
- The Kraken have returned forward Ryan Winterton to AHL Coachella Valley, per a team announcement (Twitter link). The 21-year-old picked up an assist in a dozen games with Seattle and will now return to the Firebirds to get ready for their playoff run. Winterton has 18 goals and 19 assists in 55 AHL contests this season.
- After making his season debut yesterday, Wild defenseman Cameron Crotty is heading back to the minors, per a team announcement (Twitter link). He’ll be ceding his roster spot to Zeev Buium who inked his entry-level deal earlier today. Crotty now has two career NHL appearances under his belt while he has chipped in with 10 assists in 62 outings with Iowa.
- The Islanders have sent goaltender Tristan Lennox back to AHL Bridgeport, relays Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link). The 22-year-old had a short-lived NHL debut back on Tuesday, allowing one goal on two shots in a little under five minutes of action. Lennox has been limited to just four minor league appearances this season due to injury, posting a 4.44 GAA and a .832 SV% with Bridgeport. He was no longer needed with the Isles with Ilya Sorokin returning today.
- One player who won’t be on the NHL-AHL shuffle for a little while longer is Calgary prospect Henry Mews. The defenseman announced (Twitter link) that he’ll play for the University of Michigan next season. Mews was a third-round pick by the Flames last June, going 74th overall. He had a strong year offensively in the OHL, tallying 82 points in 68 games between Ottawa and Sudbury but instead of staying in junior, he’ll test himself at the college level next season.
Jets Notes: Ehlers, Vilardi, Pionk, Miller, Kupari
Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers will be a game-time decision against the Blues tonight, head coach Scott Arniel told Mitchell Clinton of the team’s official site. The 29-year-old is day-to-day with a foot injury and sat out Saturday’s 4-1 loss as a result. He left their previous game, a win over the Golden Knights on Thursday, after taking a shot to the foot in the first period – returning only to leave for a second time in the third period after a shot from teammate Cole Perfetti inadvertently hit him in the knee. Such a short-term absence is welcome news for a Winnipeg forward group already down Gabriel Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari (more on them later) as they try to stave off the Capitals for the President’s Trophy and the Stars for the Western Conference and Central Division titles.
Ehlers’ health will be a crucial factor in winning those races and, ideally, multiple playoff series. The Danish forward is having one of the better seasons of his 10-year career, placing third on the team in scoring with 24-39–63 through 67 games. That’s despite continued inexplicably limited deployment by Arniel – among players with 60 or more points this season, Ehlers’ 15:56 ATOI ranks last. He’s one of just four players to hit the mark while averaging under 17 minutes per game. This spring is also an important one for Ehlers to rebuild his damaged postseason reputation. While he’s produced 0.77 points per game over his regular-season career, he’s clicked at just a 0.38 points per game rate in the playoffs (4-10–14 in 37 GP).
As for Vilardi, Arniel said the first-line fixture has returned to the team and will return to practice soon. The 25-year-old hasn’t played since sustaining an upper-body injury on March 23, missing Winnipeg’s last six games. They’ve managed to go 4-2-0 without him in what marked their first games of the campaign without his services. He’s lined up with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele in all 71 of his appearances this season and has shattered his previous career-high in points, logging a 27-34–61 scoring line in his second season in Manitoba. He’s also averaging a career-high 18:08 per game. It remains unclear if he’ll return for any of the Jets’ final five regular-season games, but the statement bodes well for his availability for Game 1 of an increasingly likely first-round date with the Wild.
The Jets aren’t just banged up on offense. They’ve also been without second-pair defenseman Neal Pionk since March 14 with a lower-body injury. He remains week-to-week but skated in practice today with the extras, per Clinton. That indicates his return is ahead of Vilardi’s, and he could very well get a couple of games of action before the playoffs to get back to game pace. The pending unrestricted free agent has 9-28–37 in 66 games from the Winnipeg blue line, the second-highest offensive production of his career. He boasts a career-best +21 rating while averaging over 22 minutes per contest, improving his possession play to reestablish himself as the Jets’ unquestionable No. 2 defenseman behind Josh Morrissey.
He won’t be returning against St. Louis, though, and they may be down an additional rearguard in veteran Colin Miller. He wasn’t at practice this morning and will be a game-time decision due to illness, Arniel said. With Pionk out, the depth piece has skated in 11 straight contests. He has 4-10–14 with a +11 rating in 59 appearances after re-signing with the Jets on a two-year, $3MM deal last offseason, missing time with a fractured larynx back in January.
Arniel also said Kupari skated before practice today as the 25-year-old pivot remains in concussion protocol. He’s played just three times since the beginning of last month, sustaining a concussion against the Isles on March 4. He exited protocols after three games but remained on the sidelines as a healthy scratch until March 25 against the Capitals. He had a setback in his post-concussion symptoms after that contest and will remain unavailable for a sixth straight contest tonight as a result. He’s posted 5-3–8 in 59 contests while winning 52.5% of his draws.
Central Notes: Kaprizov, Parayko, Ehlers, Wiesblatt
The Wild have been slumping lately with four straight losses, dropping them to the second Wild Card spot in the West. However, there could be some help on the horizon soon as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the hope is that winger Kirill Kaprizov could be available to return to the lineup on Wednesday against San Jose. The 27-year-old has missed more than two months with a lower-body injury, one that caused him to miss time earlier in the season as well. Kaprizov has been one of the top players in the league when healthy as his 1.41 points per game average ranks fifth in the league. Unfortunately for him and Minnesota, he has only played in 37 games although that number may be going up soon.
More from the Central:
- While Blues defenseman Colton Parayko has resumed skating, head coach Jim Montgomery indicated to reporters, including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (Twitter link), that he’s not comfortable about putting him into the lineup just yet. The 31-year-old is trying to return earlier than expected from a knee injury but Montgomery acknowledged that there were a couple of instances in practice that showed he’s not ready to return yet. Still, it would appear that Parayko is getting close to coming back which would be a big boost to their back end with him being their number one blueliner.
- It appears that Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers has avoided serious injury after blocking two shots off his foot on Thursday as Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun relays that Ehlers is listed as day-to-day and could play tonight against Utah. In the final year of his contract leading to UFA eligibility for the first time this summer, Ehlers is one point shy of his career-high in points and has 24 goals and 39 assists through 67 games this season. With Winnipeg slipping a bit and Dallas on a run, they’ll need Ehlers back quickly to help them try to hold onto top spot in the division.
- The Predators have returned winger Ozzy Wiesblatt to AHL Milwaukee, per a team announcement. The 23-year-old was recalled on Thursday and got into his fifth game of the season that night, recording five hits in a little over 11 minutes of ice time. Wiesblatt will now return to the Admirals where he has 37 points in 61 games, good for third on the team in scoring.
Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers Chance Of Re-Signing Will Fuel Trade Rumors
With the 4-Nations Face-Off out of the way, fan attention is starting to turn towards the looming NHL Trade Deadline on March 7th. The Winnipeg Jets are among the teams still figuring out their deadline approach, with popular winger Nikolaj Ehlers at the top of their docket. Ehlers has provided a decade of serviceable hockey to the Jets franchise – but is set to land in unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career this summer. Winnipeg’s confidence in their ability to re-sign him could directly influence if they shop him at the deadline, shares Murat Ates of The Athletic.
Ehlers is coming off a seven-year, $42MM contract with a manageable $6MM cap hit. He’s seemed to improve in every year of the deal, working his way up to a proud 48 points in 47 games this season. That’s a pace of 74 points in 73 games on the year – which would confidently pass his current career-high of 64 points set in 2016-17. That scoring burst comes after Ehlers broke 60 points for the first time in five seasons last year. At 29-years-old, the winger seems firmly in the midst of his prime – making now a golden opportunity for Winnipeg to sell high. Ates points out that Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has made a point to capitalize on outgoing players in the past – moving each of Jacob Trouba, Andrew Copp, Patrik Laine, Jack Roslovic, and Pierre-Luc Dubois at optimal times to receive a hefty return.
If Ehlers is looking to test his chance at a bigger lineup role before he’s in his golden years, moving as a rental with the freedom of choice this summer could be ideal for both sides. Ehlers has been the subject of trade rumors for many years – largely thanks to just how sequestered his offense seems on Winnipeg’s second-line. The Jets reportedly made Ehlers available for the right return at the 2024 NHL Draft, but weren’t able to find a suitor to take on the final year of his contract. Ehlers faced a routine injury bug from 2019 to 2023 – but found his footing and played all 82 games of the 2023-24 campaign, with great results. It was hard to imagine Winnipeg not asking for a first-round draft pick to start negotiations after that uptick – and Ehlers has only improved his standing this season.
That could make a trade pretty rich for the rest of the league. But Winnipeg do have motivation to clear up minutes in their offense. 2022 first-round pick Brad Lambert is leading the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in scoring this season with a stout 19 assists and 22 points in 38 games. He earned the lead-scorer title last year as well, with 21 goals and 55 points in 64 games. Lambert is still just 21 years old, but he’s already seemed to grow out of the AHL mold. Adjusting to an NHL role will take time but – with an offense firing on all cylinders – the Jets could be poised to find a cushy role for the versatile forward, who can play all three positions. Fellow right-shot, top prospect Nikita Chibrikov has also been performing well in the minors – with 18 points in 30 games suggesting a trial run in the NHL could be in order. Chibrikov scored three points in four NHL games earlier this season.
Cheveldayoff likened the process of seeing Ehlers grow into his own as watching one’s child grow up. But he also told Ates that business is business – and that the Jets would be diligent to put themselves in the best position they can. Winnipeg currently leads the Western Conference by a stride, with 81 points putting them nine points ahead of the three-way tie for second between Edmonton, Vegas, and Dallas. Even better, Winnipeg is entering the deadline with a thriving trade chip who, with a hefty return, could push the Jets in one of many directions. A swap of roster players or a return of draft capital could each go a long way towards shaping Winnipeg’s short and long-term future, while opening roles up for emerging youngsters. The looming question will be if Winnipeg is willing to reach for those benefits at the expense of a tenured pro.
Jets Activate Nikolaj Ehlers, Waive Dylan Coghlan
Dec. 19: The Jets announced that Coghlan cleared waivers and was subsequently assigned to AHL Manitoba along with the waiver-exempt Chibrikov.
Dec. 18: The Jets have placed defenseman Dylan Coghlan on waivers ahead of the upcoming roster freeze, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. In a related but not quite corresponding move, winger Nikolaj Ehlers has been activated from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Ducks, per the league’s media site. Center David Gustafsson, who’s been in concussion protocol since fighting Bruins forward Trent Frederic on Dec. 10, was placed on injured reserve to keep the Jets’ active roster at the maximum 23 until Coghlan can be removed tomorrow.
Ehlers had missed the last nine games with a lower-body injury that he sustained against the Golden Knights on Nov. 29. The Jets managed to go 5-3-1 in his absence and haven’t lost in regulation over their last four outings. The injury interrupted a resurgent season for the pending unrestricted free agent, who still ranks fifth on the team in scoring with 25 points (9 G, 16 A) in 24 games. If his pace holds, the Danish winger will crack the point-per-game threshold for the first time in his 10-year career. If he plays tonight, he’ll likely resume his place on the second line alongside Vladislav Namestnikov and Cole Perfetti while rookie Nikita Chibrikov, who has two goals and an assist in four showings this season, heads to the press box.
Coghlan, 26, signed a two-way deal with the Jets in the offseason after they acquired his signing rights from the Hurricanes. He made the team’s opening night roster but has been stuck in the press box, playing just once this year despite not carrying an injury designation. Winnipeg has had eight defensemen on the active roster nearly all season but hasn’t had the impetus to make many lineup changes. Their relatively healthy blue line has helped power a 23-9-1 record.
His lone appearance came against Vegas, his former team, in the game Ehlers got hurt. He posted a -1 rating in 14:38 of ice time with two shots on goal. Winnipeg out-attempted opponents 15-8 with Coghlan on the ice at even strength despite two-thirds of his zone starts coming in the defensive end.
Thirty-one other teams will now have the chance to claim Coghlan, who only costs the league minimum of $775K against the cap when in the NHL and has 107 games of experience to his name over the last five years. If there are no takers, it’s back to the AHL for him, this time with the Manitoba Moose. The British Columbia native played in 61 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds last season while under contract with Carolina, leading their defenders with 41 points (16 G, 25 A).
Central Notes: Manson, Gustafsson, Ehlers, Utah
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson could return to the lineup during the team’s current three-game road trip (as per Avalanche play-by-play man Conor McGahey). Manson has been dealing with an upper-body issue and won’t suit up tonight when Colorado takes on the Vancouver Canucks. However, he could dress on Thursday or Friday when Colorado plays back-to-back against Anaheim and San Jose. Manson is currently on the injured reserve, meaning that the Avalanche will need to make a roster move before activating the 33-year-old.
Manson hasn’t played since leaving a game on November 29th against Dallas and has played 24 games on the season, posting one goal and five assists. He had one of his better offensive seasons last year, tallying 25 points in 76 games, but he has struggled this year with turnovers, giving the puck away 42 times already, which is one off from his total for all of last season.
In other Central Division notes:
- Winnipeg Jets colour analyst Mitchell Clinton tweeted that Jets head coach Scott Arniel told the media that injured forwards David Gustafsson and Nikolaj Ehlers both skated today in what is the next step towards a return to action. The 24-year-old Gustafsson skated in a non-contact jersey, his first time back on the ice since he suffered a concussion in a fight on December 10th. Ehlers was in a regular jersey as he tried to get back in the lineup after missing eight games. The 28-year-old hasn’t played since November 29th and is likely day by day at this point.
- Utah Hockey Club goaltender Connor Ingram and defenseman Robert Bortuzzo are not close to returning to action (according to Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune). Ingram did not practice today after he spent some time skating over the weekend and will be off the ice for the next little bit. The 35-year-old Bortuzzo didn’t have much better news as he remains sidelined with a lower-body injury that he suffered on December 10th against the Minnesota Wild. Utah remains without several key defensemen, including Bortuzzo, John Marino and Sean Durzi.
Snapshots: Mukhamadullin, Ehlers, Nyquist, Drury
The Sharks have recalled defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin from AHL San Jose, reports Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was the 20th overall pick by New Jersey back in 2020 and was a key piece of the Timo Meier trade three years later. Mukhamadullin missed all of training camp with a lower-body injury, eliminating any chance he had of making the team. He was cleared to return at the end of October and has been with the Barracuda since then, collecting six assists in 14 games. To make room for him on the roster, Jack Thompson has been returned to the AHL; the 22-year-old has done well in limited action so far, picking up five points in 14 games with the Sharks while averaging a little over 16 minutes a night.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers skated today for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury late last month, relays Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). The 28-year-old was off to a strong start before the injury, recording nine goals and 16 assists in 24 games to land him in the top four in team scoring. Although Ehlers was back on the ice today, there remains no firm timetable for his return.
- Predators winger Gustav Nyquist was a late scratch for tonight’s game against Calgary with the team announcing (Twitter link) that he’s listed as day-to-day with an illness. After a career year last season in his first year with Nashville that saw him record 23 goals and 52 assists in 81 games, the 35-year-old has struggled offensively this season. Through his first 28 games, he has just six goals and four helpers despite logging nearly 18 minutes a night of playing time.
- The Hurricanes announced (Twitter link) that center Jack Drury left tonight’s game against San Jose due to an upper-body injury and did not return. The 24-year-old is in his second full NHL season and after putting up 27 points in 74 games in 2023-24, he’s producing at a similar clip this year, picking up three goals and six assists in his first 27 outings. Drury also has the highest faceoff rate of Carolina’s full-time middlemen, winning over 56% of his draws in the early going.