Winnipeg Jets Place Dominic Toninato On Waivers
The Winnipeg Jets have placed forward Dominic Toninato on waivers, according to CapFriendly. Toninato was recalled in response to Kyle Connor‘s placement on injured reserve. He did not dress for the Jets’ 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings yesterday, and now appears to be slated for a return to the AHL.
This is not the first time Toninato has found himself on waivers, although he has not been claimed before in his career. He last cleared waivers on October 2nd, and since he has been on the Jets’ roster for 30 cumulative days since then, he’ll need to go through waivers again.
The 29-year-old pivot is a veteran of 169 career NHL games and occupies a role as a depth center capable of handling bottom-six minutes in the NHL and top-six minutes in the AHL.
So far this season, Toninato has played entirely at the AHL level. He has six points in nine games for the Manitoba Mose so far this year, though he has spent time in the NHL press box as a healthy scratch as well.
It’s possible a team in desperate need of an experienced center could put in a claim for Toninato, seeing as he did play in 77 NHL games as recently as 2021-22. But that outcome appears unlikely, especially considering Toninato’s career 42.9% mark on draws means he doesn’t have appeal as a faceoff specialist at the very least.
Jets Place Kyle Connor On IR, Recall Dominic Toninato
The Winnipeg Jets have placed top-scoring forward Kyle Connor on injured reserve with a knee injury. It was recently reported that Connor would be out for six to eight weeks, with the winger slated to undergo an MRI to discover the extent of his injury. Winnipeg has used an emergency recall to bring Dominic Toninato up to the NHL roster in light of Connor’s move to IR.
Connor has been a major focal piece of Winnipeg’s early season, with the winger tied for fourth in goals with 17 in 26 games. He’s also managed 11 assists, bringing him up to a team-high 28 points. With the 27-year-old out for an extended period, the Jets will need to look towards players like Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers to carry additional weight. The team has also benefited from NHL sophomore Cole Perfetti, who currently has nine goals and 19 points in 27 games.
Toninato will serve as additional forward depth for the club, after scoring six points through his first nine AHL games this season. The 29-year-old centerman is in his fourth season with the Jets organization, serving as a go-to extra forward for the team. He appeared in one full season with the Jets in 2021-22, recording 14 points and 22 penalty minutes in 77 games. It was the first full season of Toninato’s career, after making his debut in the 2017-18 season. He’s also appeared in 64 games with Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, scoring 24 goals and 45 points with the club. Toninato was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs and is appearing with his third NHL franchise in Winnipeg.
Kyle Connor Reportedly Out Long-Term
After a knee-on-knee collision between Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets and Ryan Strome of the Anaheim Ducks, it was reported that Connor would get an MRI on his knee to view the extent of the injury. Although there is still some evaluation left to take place, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press is reporting that an optimistic timeline for Connor will be around six to eight weeks.
During the play in question, Connor was coming into the slot early in the second period, attempting a backhand shot on Anaheim goaltender, John Gibson. After the shot was made, although both of his feet were planted, Strome’s right leg came into contact with Connor’s right leg, causing Connor to immediately drop to the ice in pain.
In a brief interaction with the media this morning, head coach of the Jets, Rick Bowness, relayed on the news that Connor would be returning to Winnipeg to be re-evaluated by team doctors at their facilities, and is guaranteed to be out of the lineup both today and tomorrow. At this point, the Jets have not given any official word about the severity of Connor’s injury, nor his eventual recovery timeline.
It is a tough blow for Winnipeg to lose their top goal-scorer for any length of the season, given that with 17 goals on the season already, Connor has accounted for 20% of all goals scored for the Jets this season. Over his last seven seasons, including this year, Connor has been one of if not the best offensive players for Winnipeg, scoring 224 goals and 447 points in 472 games.
Without any other player on the team reaching the double-digit goal total at this point in the season, the Jets will likely generate scoring by committee moving forward. However, although his goal-scoring is down this season, Mark Scheifele will be heavily relied upon in his absence to put the puck in the net.
If the timeline presented by McIntyre is accurate, Connor will miss between nine and 16 games, as the Jets will continue to battle for playoff positioning in the Central Division with the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. Fortunately for Winnipeg, only six of those games will be against opponents currently within the playoff picture, as they will have two games against the Chicago Blackhawks as well as another two games against the San Jose Sharks during that stretch.
Nevertheless, heading into the trade season, the injury to Connor may give the Jets more motivation to acquire more goal-scoring to inject into their lineup. Even with the fourth-highest goal-scorer in the NHL this season, the Jets are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of offense, currently sitting at 14th in the league in GF/G.
Kyle Connor To Undergo MRI
- There will be no supplemental discipline coming to Ducks center Ryan Strome from his hit on Jets winger Kyle Connor, reports Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). Strome received a major penalty on the play, one that was upheld after review. Meanwhile, Connor was slated to undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury. Connor is off to a great start to his season with 17 goals and 11 assists in 26 games, leading Winnipeg in scoring while being tied for fourth in the NHL in goals.
Kyle Connor Leaves Sunday Early With Lower-Body Injury
- Kyle Connor was forced out of the Winnipeg Jets’ Sunday night loss after suffering a lower-body injury. The top forward appeared in just eight minutes of the 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, recording three shots. Connor is tied with Sam Reinhart for third in the league in goals, scoring 17 through 26 games.
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Jets Receiving Interest In Logan Stanley
Playing time has been hard to come by for Jets defenseman Logan Stanley this season. Accordingly, teams have started to call around to ask about his availability, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.
The 6’6 rearguard was the 18th selection in the 2016 draft but has failed to live up to his draft billing. Stanley has just 119 career NHL appearances under his belt, only four of which have come in 2023-24 as he has been a frequent healthy scratch. More of a stay-at-home player, the 25-year-old has 20 career points along with 157 blocks and 228 hits.
Stanley was frustrated with his situation last season, one that saw him limited to just 19 appearances between injuries and scratches. The end result was a reported trade request although clearly, that didn’t come to fruition. This summer, Stanley accepted a one-year, $1MM contract in August, the amount of his qualifying offer. He’ll once again be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights in July, owed that same amount as a qualifier.
With Declan Chisholm finally seeing some NHL action in recent weeks, Winnipeg is currently carrying eight blueliners on its active roster with Ville Heinola – ready for an NHL look himself – on injured reserve. They also have Kyle Capobianco – a regular on the roster last year – at AHL Manitoba. Accordingly, it might make sense for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to explore selling off some surplus depth although Garrioch does point out that Stanley is not being shopped.
Of course, it’s fair to say that Stanley’s value is far from being at its peak. Seventh or eighth defensemen generally don’t yield much of a return on the trade market so it’s fair to say they’d be selling low. That’s not something Cheveldayoff typically does as he’s well-known for his patience to find the right move.
Stanley’s level of performance hasn’t changed much over the years so it’s fair to question how much upside he has left with Winnipeg. However, given where he was picked, it’s likely that there are organizations who believe a change of scenery could do him some good and that they can unlock his potential, so to speak. If there are enough of those, the Jets could get a good enough offer to be persuaded to move on at some point in the coming weeks. Otherwise, his extended stint in the press box seems likely to continue.
Vladislav Namestnikov Could Play On Upcoming Road Trip
- Winnipeg Jets analyst Mitchell Clinton is reporting that Winnipeg Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov will join the team on their upcoming road trip but is unlikely to play in Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. The 31-year-old has missed the Jets’ last two games after suffering a lower-body injury during a puck battle with Darnell Nurse in the Jets’ 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers last Thursday. Namestnikov signed a two-year deal with the Jets in the summer and has had a decent start to the season with two goals and nine assists in his first 22 games.
Ville Heinola Returns To Skating
- Suffering an ankle injury during this year’s preseason, the rehab for Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Ville Heinola was expected to be between two and three months. In an update on his progression, reports are confirming that Heinola has returned to skating, although he is still not skating in full equipment (X Link). The timeline should still be accurate to project his return, but it is nonetheless a positive that he has not experienced a setback in his recovery process.
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Jets Sign Nino Niederreiter To Three-Year Extension
The Winnipeg Jets have signed forward Nino Niederreiter to a three-year contract extension. The new deal carries a $4MM annual average value (AAV) and will begin next season. Niederreiter is in his first full season with Winnipeg, after joining the team via a trade with the Nashville Predators last season.
Niederreiter has appeared in 23 games with the Jets this season, recording six goals, 14 points, and a +9. He managed similar stats after joining the Jets last season, appearing in 22 games and scoring six goals and 13 points. He also added four points in five playoff games.
Winnipeg is the fifth franchise that the 31-year-old Niederreiter has played for across his 13-year career. He was originally drafted fifth overall by the New York Islanders in the 2010 NHL Draft and went on to make his NHL debut at the end of the 2010-11 season, joining the Islanders roster after the end of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks season. His rookie season came in 2011-12, and was marked by a string of challenges, with Niederreiter only recording one goal and a -29 through 55 games. He bounced back from the shaky start, though, going on to record 833 career NHL games and 423 career points. He ranks sixth in the 2010 Draft class in career games.
Niederreiter is averaging just over 15 minutes of ice time this season, providing strong support to Winnipeg’s middle-six. He is one of nine Jets with 10 or more points this season. The roster currently ranks third in the Central Division, with a 13-8-2 record. They also rank 11th in goal-differential, with a +10.
Jets Activate Gabriel Vilardi
The Winnipeg Jets activated forward Gabriel Vilardi off injured reserve Thursday, per a team announcement. Head coach Rick Bowness told reporters this morning, including Jets radio commentator Mitchell Clinton, that Vilardi will be a game-time decision tonight against the Oilers.
Vilardi, 24, had missed the past six weeks and 19 games with an MCL sprain sustained in the Jets’ third game of the season. Vilardi, who had notched one assist in his first two games as a Jet, was injured early in an October 17 contest against the Kings, his former team.
If he does play, it’s unclear where he’ll slot in the lineup. Vilardi began the season in a prominent role, skating on the first line alongside Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. It’s evident the Jets have high expectations for the young forward as he continues to overcome significant injuries, a common theme in his development since the Kings selected him 11th overall in 2017.
The most valuable piece sent to Winnipeg in exchange for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois last summer, Vilardi was coming off a breakout season in which he scored 23 goals and 41 points in 68 contests, all career-highs. He posted strong underlying numbers in the process and put up a solid 52.5% Corsi share at even strength. He continued his strong play in the postseason, notching four points in five games in the Kings’ first-round loss to the Oilers.
After missing significant time, don’t expect Vilardi to return to his previous first-line role, at least not immediately. Vilardi took line rushes with Morgan Barron and David Gustafsson on the team’s fourth line in practice today, likely indicating where he’ll skate tonight if he returns to the lineup. He’ll have to unseat Nikolaj Ehlers, who’s currently riding shotgun with Connor and Scheifele. Ehlers has had a somewhat disappointing start to the season, though, recording just 11 points in 21 games.
Vilardi is in the first season of a two-year deal signed with Jets post-trade, earning him $3.44MM per season. He will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2025.