Vilardi out 4-6 weeks with knee injury

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/10/2023 (719 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Gabriel Vilardi is going to be on the shelf for a significant amount of time, though the news regarding his timeline was mostly positive for the Winnipeg Jets.

The Jets will be without the services of the top-line right-winger for four-to-six weeks after he suffered a sprained MCL on Tuesday night against his former team.

The former Los Angeles Kings forward saw his night ended just 5:55 into the first period on Tuesday after he was tripped by Blake Lizotte and fell awkwardly on his right leg.

“I feel terrible for him,” said Jets head coach Rick Bowness. “Listen, he’s a big part of our team. He’s on the No.1 line, No.1 power play, and he looked good doing it. He worked very hard all summer and he is a really good fit for (Kyle Connor) and Mark (Scheifele), and it’s unfortunate that happened.

“He’s had a tough time with injuries, hopefully this is it for the year and he comes back and he’ll be a major contributor as the season goes on.”

“I’ve been there and it sucks,” added Scheifele, when asked about the loss of Vilardi. “He’s been awesome. A guy that loves the game and we’ve really meshed well. He’s such a fantastic player. He’s going to be missed and we hope he has a speedy recovery and is back with us soon.

As tough as it will be for the Jets (1-2-0) to be without a key contributor, there was an element of relief involved with the diagnosis.

“It’s not a tear, it’s a sprain,” said Bowness. “It could have been a lot worse, and then he would have needed an operation and then he’s done for a while. So, we’ll take the best-case scenario as a sprain, we’ll take that.”

During Wednesday’s practice, Rasmus Kupari skated with centre Scheifele and Connor on the top forward line, though Bowness hinted that Kupari might have been a placeholder for Mason Appleton, who was held out of the session for maintenance purposes.

Appleton has spent some time playing with Scheifele over the years and understands the assignment.

“We’re a line that likes to play in the (offensive) zone and read off each other,” said Scheifele. “It’s not always the miracle play, it’s a lot of simple plays and playing with speed. All it takes is a split second to get a shot off, especially with a guy like (Connor) who shoots so well. If you give him a split second, he buries it.

“That’s what we try to look for and it’s always a work in progress.”

Finding Vilardi’s temporary replacement isn’t the only change the Jets will be making on Thursday night when they host the defending Stanley Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights at 7 p.m. to wrap up a three-game homestand.

“He’s had a tough time with injuries, hopefully this is it for the year and he comes back and he’ll be a major contributor as the season goes on.”–Rick Bowness

Bowness is promoting Vladislav Namestnikov to the role of second-line centre with Nikolaj Ehlers, while Cole Perfetti is shifting back to the wing.

This doesn’t mean the experiment is over, but Bowness is hoping to rekindle the chemistry Ehlers and Namestnikov showed at points late last season, while allowing Perfetti to focus on unlocking his offensive game after contributing one assist through three games.

“Well, he’s played more wing here (in the NHL) than he has centre,” said Bowness. “Again, to be fair to him, he hasn’t played a lot of hockey in three years. He’s very hard on himself, so this takes a little pressure off of him.

“Right now, that line is just not generating nearly enough consistent offence, so we’ve got to give it a different look.”

Nino Niederreiter slides onto the checking line with Adam Lowry and Alex Iafallo, while David Gustafsson is set to suit up in his first game of the regular season on the fourth line, presumably with Kupari and Morgan Barron.

“I’m just happy to be able to play again,” said Gustafsson, who scored three goals during the pre-season. “When you’ve been sitting on the sideline for a while, you’re wondering when it’s going to happen. Now, I finally get the chance and I’ll do whatever I can to take this chance that I have.

“I want to show (the coaching staff) that I’m a guy they can trust. When you’ve got a guy you can trust, it’s tough to take him out of the lineup. That’s my plan right now.”

Bowness said the Jets expect to recall a forward from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, with the candidates likely either Dominic Toninato or Parker Ford.

The changes don’t stop up front, as the Jets are altering two of their three defensive pairs.

“When you’ve been sitting on the sideline for a while, you’re wondering when it’s going to happen. Now, I finally get the chance and I’ll do whatever I can to take this chance that I have.”–David Gustafsson

While Josh Morrissey remains on the top pair with Dylan DeMelo, Brenden Dillon is moving back with Neal Pionk, while Dylan Samberg shifts back with Nate Schmidt.

There’s plenty of familiarity with those pairings, as that’s how the Jets spent a good chunk of last season.

Samberg was limited to just 10:25 of ice time on Tuesday, mostly because he was assessed an instigating minor, fighting major and a 10-minute misconduct after coming to the aid of Perfetti after he was on the receiving end of a check-from-behind from Kings defenceman Andreas Englund.

A change is also coming in goal, where Laurent Brossoit gets his first start of the season against his former team after Connor Hellebuyck was between the pipes in each of the first three games.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X: WiebesWorld