Cellar-dwelling Jets send Lowry down to Moose

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This article was published 16/12/2015 (3611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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With his team in last place in the Central Division following a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues Tuesday night, Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice swung the axe Wednesday morning, demoting forward Adam Lowry to the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose.

“Play some hockey games,” said Maurice after practice when asked about the move, noting the Moose have a couple games this week as well as next week too. “Not sure how many of those he’ll end up playing but to get back into a higher rep, touch more pucks, get hit feet moving, get his game back.”

Lowry has just one goal and seven assists in 31 games this season and just one point in his last six games. This all comes after a breakout season for the Jets forward in 2014-15 where he played 80 games for the Jets, registering 11 goals and 12 assists.

“We want to get him to a place down there where he’s feeling good about his game,” Maurice added. “He hasn’t been as good in the first part of the year as we had hoped he would be.”

The combination of Tuesday’s Jets loss to St. Louis and a 3-0 Colorado Avalanche win over the Chicago Blackhawks meant the Jets awoke Wednesday morning to find themselves in the cellar of the Central Division for the first time this season with a record of 14-15-2 and 30 points.

Given that, the choice to send down Lowry could be seen as a wake-up call to every player; but that’s not necessarily how Jets captain Andrew Ladd sees it.

“We’re, in here, focused on winning hockey games,” started Ladd. “If you’re not coming back to the rink after last night thinking how we can get better and how we can get this thing going in the right direction then you’re probably in the wrong spot.”

Also raised was the topic of Ladd’s contract status with the Jets. Ladd, who led the team in points last season but has struggled for stretches this year, is set to become an unrestricted free agent come July 1. Asked if he’s bothered by the fact he hasn’t put ink to paper this late in the year, Ladd said contract talks have yet to become a distraction.

“I’m worried about winning hockey games,” he said, adding he would like to stay with the Jets organization long-term.

On Monday, Winnipeg Free Press sports reporter Tim Campbell reported that Ladd, along with defenceman Jacob Trouba, who will become a restricted free-agent at the end of this year, and Dustin Byfuglien, who is in the same position as Ladd, are asking for a combined US$152-million in future deals.

Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Toby Enstrom were also absent from practice Wednesday. Maurice called it a “maintenance day” for the trio and he expects them to return to action tomorrow.

 

email: paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek