Jets trim training camp roster

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This article was published 03/10/2024 (368 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets are down to the short strokes when it comes setting to the opening-day roster.

Although a few important decisions remain, the Jets made their latest round of cuts Thursday morning.

They included placing defenceman Simon Lundmark on waivers along with forwards Mason Shaw, Dominic Toninato and Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and assigning goalie Thomas Milic and defencemen Tyrel Bauer and Dmitry Kuzmin to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

That leaves the Jets with three goalies, 11 defencemen and 16 forwards in training camp, though that includes injured blue-liners Ville Heinola and Logan Stanley — who are expected to open the season on injured reserve and won’t count towards the opening-day roster, which can be a maxiumum of 23 players and is due by 4 p.m. CT on Sunday afternoon.

Forward David Gustafsson, who suffered a lower-body injury in the second period of Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames and winger Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who blocked a shot in the third period of the fifth preseason game, skipped Thursday’s on-ice session — though Jets head coach Scott Arniel wasn’t expecting either of those players to be out longer than day-to-day.

The Jets finish the preseason Friday night in Calgary with a rematch against the Flames in what represents a final audition for players on the bubble.

Arniel reiterated he’s expecting to dress most of his veterans since the Jets open the regular season next Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers.

Thursday’s line combinations may have provided some clues as to which way the Jets are leaning for the final roster spots, though the injuries to Gustafsson and Anderson-Dolan (both of whom aren’t expected to play on Friday) could cloud things somewhat.

Neither Brad Lambert nor Nikita Chibrikov require waivers, so the path of least resistance would be to assign those players to the AHL.

However, Lambert’s play has forced the Jets to strongly consider keeping him around, especially if they end up keeping 14 forwards.

On the back end, the Jets are down to one decision. While Haydn Fleury was back with Colin Miller on what is projected to be the third pairing, that left Elias Salomonsson on the left side with Dylan Coghlan on the fourth pair.

Salomonsson has shown well throughout the preseason and continues to get better as the competition is getting tougher, so the Jets will need to determine whether he sticks around or would be better served by getting more puck touches and increased ice time with the Moose as he continues his adjustment to the North American game.

The Jets aren’t expected to carry three goalies, though Arniel didn’t rule out the possibility when asked about the battle for the backup job behind Connor Hellebuyck, who will make a third consecutive start on Friday.

“Not my department,” said Arniel, who was chuckling before he got back to the issue at hand. “We have to figure it out. We have two injured defencemen, we have to have a spot for projecting when they might be back. As it is today, we have some injured forwards. We have to see where we are health-wise.

“Can you afford to keep three? Do you have to keep cap space open? We’ll get to Sunday and Monday and go from there.”

Let’s just say Arniel has been around the game long enough to know you need to have a plan in place, but things can change quickly when it comes to this time of the year when all 32 teams have roster decisions pending and occasionally some unexpected options reveal themselves either on the waiver wire or via trade.

Barlow on the move

Jets forward prospect Colby Barlow was involved in a blockbuster deal in the Ontario Hockey League on Thursday as he was acquired by the Oshawa Generals from the Owen Sound Attack for a haul that included two players and six OHL draft picks.

Barlow scored a goal late in the third period of his Jets’ preseason debut, but had a relatively quiet camp.

In what is an important development year for the high-scoring winger, Arniel urged Barlow to make every day count in what will be his final taste of junior hockey and ending up with a team that’s considered to be a true contender in the OHL should be beneficial.

“Good for him,” said Arniel, noting he has a relationship with Attack general manager Dale Degray that dates back to their time as teammates in three different spots, including the Moose. “When (Barlow) was heading home there, we said go back there and play at an elite level, go win something. Go down there and have success as a team and be part of that. The other thing is do everything possible to get on that World Junior team and continue to gain growth that way. He has an opportunity with a good team and hopefully he makes the most of it.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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