Jack Roslovic cramps up during morning skate, status tonight in doubt

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This article was published 02/02/2019 (2409 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets have some lineup intrigue ahead of tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.

Forward Jack Roslovic left the ice after just a few minutes of the morning skate at Bell MTS Place. Coach Paul Maurice said the second-line winger cramped up and was sent off as a precaution. A decision on his status will be made prior to the 6 p.m. puck drop.

If he can’t go, Nic Petan would take his place. Petan has been a healthy scratch for 15 straight games, prompting his agent to tell the Free Press earlier this week that Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is actively trying to move Petan to another team to give him a fresh start.

“Always excited. Ready to play a game, it’s been a while. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but if it is I’m ready to go,” Petan said this morning. “I think not many players go through what I’m going through, not playing so much. All I can do is do my workouts and practice hard, and that’s what I’ve been doing. I think I’m ready to go whenever.”

Coincidentally, Roslovic’s agent also spoke to the Free Press, saying he’s aware that multiple teams have been calling the Jets with trade offers for his client, but after starting the year on the roster bubble and playing limited fourth-line minutes, Roslovic has taken on a bigger role lately following the injury in early January to Nikolaj Ehlers.

Roslovic has been skating on the second-line with Bryan Little and Patrik Laine. He’s scored four goals this season, with two coming in the past three games.

No other potential lineup changes are expected for the Jets. Ehlers remains out for at least another week, while Dustin Byfuglien will wait at least one more game to make his return from an ankle injury suffered in late December. He participated in Saturday’s morning skate in a non-contact jersey.

Sami Niku will once again be a healthy scratch as the extra defenceman. Connor Hellebuyck will make a third straight start in net for the Jets, who have won two straight and sit on top of the Central Division with a 33-16-2 record.

Over on the visitor’s side, the Ducks will be playing their first game since their bye week, which came after the All-Star break. Anaheim went into the hiatus with just two wins in the past 16 games (2-10-4) but are just one point out of the final Western Conference wildcard playoff spot heading into tonight.

Randy Carlyle’s club will get a big boost to their lineup as veteran forward Corey Perry makes his season debut tonight following major knee surgery. Other previously injured forwards including Patrick Eaves and Jakob Silfverberg are also expected to play.

The Jets beat the Ducks 4-3 in overtime on Jan. 13, but they’ve undergone an extreme makeover since then including a handful of trades to bring in new faces such as Devin Shore, Derek Grant and defenceman Michael Del Zotto.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg