Lowry gets the green light

Adam Lowry finally has the green light has been waiting so patiently for.

The best part for the Winnipeg Jets’ captain is he didn’t have to lobby with the coaching staff or the training staff to get final clearance prior to Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

“Fortunately, I think we’ve already made that decision, so I don’t really have to push too hard,” Lowry said before the team departed for a six-game California road trip. “I’m looking forward to being back out there, competing with the guys. You never want to start the season not playing, but the group’s done a great job and they’ve been playing great.

“Hopefully, go in and don’t disrupt things too much.”

Lowry’s return was always going to be welcome and while the Jets are glad they were able to post a 9-3 record during his absence, getting your emotional leader back in the lineup is sure to provide a lift.

That lift became even more necessary when Jets head coach Scott Arniel declared on Tuesday that centre Morgan Barron was officially week-to-week with a mid-body injury and Gustav Nyquist remains day-to-day with an undisclosed ailment.

With that in mind, Lowry was skating with frequent linemate Nino Niederreiter and Tanner Pearson during Monday’s workout.

“He’s the captain and he’s vocal. He’s the leader and you’re not able to do that for two months, so now I’m sure he’s got a lot of stuff built up in him,” said Arniel. “But that’s just him. To be back in it, to be a part of it, practising and just skating with the guys isn’t the same as actually being on the roster and ready to play. He leads by example, and that’s both on and off the ice, and that’s what I love about him.”

Lowry, 32, impacts so many areas of the game for the Jets.

Most games, he’s tasked with minimizing the impact of the opposition’s most skilled players, he’s a key cog on a penalty killing unit that is off to a fantastic start and he’s consistently produced secondary scoring — including a career-high 16 goals last season — which gave Lowry five consecutive seasons of double digit goals (and eight in his career).

Now that the wait is over, Lowry will attack the next challenge, which is doing his best to get up to game speed sooner than later.

“It is the reads,” said Lowry, when asked about what is on his check list for his returns. “Generally, coming out of the summer, the first exhibition game or the first game, it is the speed of the game, guys come up on you quicker. You can’t admire any passes or there is a chance you are going to get hit right away and then, just playing off my linemates.

“It will be a little bit of a different look this year, so, just trying to get comfortable with them and talking to them on the bench and developing that chemistry. And then, it is just getting the cardio back. You can work as hard as you want, on the ice, off the ice, (but) there is nothing that quite replicates game shape. It might take me a couple of games to get back up and feeling good. I am going to do everything in my power to try and make that process as quick as possible.”

Lowry understands his level of play won’t immediately be where it was at the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“It was one of those things where I almost felt better coming out of surgery than going in,” said Lowry. “Obviously, there’s going to be some aches and some pains just kind of getting back into the rhythm of playing games, and that style of contact and things like that, and the load with the busy schedule.

“But where it’s at right now I’m really happy with it, really happy with the range of motion, the strength in it. It might take me a few games just to get back, get my feet under me, but I try to do everything I can to try and expedite that process.”

The trust Lowry had in the recovery plan when choosing to go under the knife to repair a chronic hip issue proved to be right on schedule, no matter how many deep breaths he had to take.

“Patience is definitely something that becomes tough some days,” said Lowry. “Some days, it was very tedious doing all the little things, making sure you stay on top of some of the exercises. But in the long run, building up that base, building up the foundation is so important. Going through training camp and just missing being a part of the group, missing going through that grind and being out there with the guys, that was tough.

“(When you) think about time; you can’t speed it up. You want to push, you want to be back out there as fast as you can. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to listen to your body. You have to just wait, which sometimes is a little easier said than done.”

The original timeline Lowry set out when speaking to reporters in September was late October to early November, which ended up being the case.

“Obviously, I would have loved to play the last game and make my return at home,” said Lowry. “But I think an extra few days, to be on the ice a few more times, to get another good practice in, can only help. The team’s been playing great. It makes it a little easier to sit out and watch and see them having success on the ice. I’m just looking forward to coming in and contributing anyway I can.”

Niederreiter is confident it won’t take Lowry long.

“He’s a big piece on our team,” said Niederreiter. “He’s a great player. He’s very competitive and he’s great to have in the locker room and on the ice, and you’ve got to make sure he comes in and he wants to make sure he takes charge. Everybody’s looking forward to having him back.”

ICE CHIPS: The Jets are the last undefeated team on the road this season, sporting a 4-0 record so far. On the flip side, the Kings — who were one of the best home teams in the NHL last season — are 0-3-2 at crypto.com Arena.

The Kings have been led offensively by winger Adrian Kempe, who has five goals and 15 points in 13 games. Kempe is a pending unrestricted free agent and he’s determined to remain with the organization that chose him 29th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft, though the two sides haven’t found a term or dollar value that aligns.

Veteran winger Corey Perry has five goals and seven points in seven games with the Kings since returning from a knee injury.

Defenceman Dylan Samberg and forward Cole Perfetti will travel with the Jets for this road trip and Arniel didn’t rule out the possibility of them potentially being ready to return before the six-game swing was over. Samberg and Perfetti continue to practise in non-contact jerseys, so the earliest they might be an option would be near the end of the road trip.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld