Jets’ Hellebuyck sidelined with knee issue

One of Connor Hellebuyck’s greatest abilities over the course of his incredible 11-season NHL career has been his durability. The NHL’s top workhorse simply never breaks down.

So you can imagine the shock throughout the Winnipeg Jets room on Friday when they learned the league’s reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner was going to be sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks with a knee injury.

“To put it plainly, it sucks,” said captain Adam Lowry.

Hellebuyck will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Saturday. The medical procedure is meant to clean up an issue that has been bothering the star goaltender since training camp.

Jets head coach Scott Arniel said the decision to shut Hellebuyck down now was reached after extensive consultation and deliberation.

“He was trying to play through it. He’d have good days, bad days. Just sometimes the timing’s right, get it done now,” said Arniel. “We have a lot of schedule ahead of us. I was really just thinking, sat down and talked to him, obviously medical staff, everybody, the agent… This was the time to do it.”

Hellebuyck, 32, has made 14 starts this year, going 8-6-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. His last appearance was on Saturday in Calgary as the Jets skated to a 4-3 shootout victory.

“We’ve been really fortunate to have Helly be healthy and available. His durability is something to marvel at. Obviously now without him, you can’t replace a guy like that,” said defenceman Josh Morrissey.

It’s now Eric Comrie’s net. The 30-year-old made his sixth start of the season on Friday night against Carolina and has the crease for the foreseeable future. He was 4-1-0 with a 2.60 GAA and .908 SV% in his first five appearances.

“I have all the confidence in the world in him,” said Morrissey. “Everyone in the room loves Coms. He’s a great goalie. The league probably doesn’t see it a lot. He’s going to get that opportunity here to show his stuff.”

Based on the projected timeline, Hellebuyck could miss anywhere from 14 to 19 games. Comrie has never appeared in more than 20 games in a season, which he did last year in Winnipeg.

The timing means Hellebuyck should be ready well before the Winter Olympics, where he’s expected to be the No. 1 man for the American team in Italy.

“Obviously, the Olympics were part of (the considerations),” said Arniel.

“But we are worried about April, May and June. The date had more to do with the last week or so because it has been bothering him a lot more. He is sore after games and he didn’t practice for a couple of days. It has been building a bit more and it wasn’t going to get any easier for him. I know he would love to just keep playing. It is about him getting healthy for that second half and the big run.”

Lowry said the Jets must stay true to their defensive discipline and detail which has led them to two straight William Jennings trophies as the NHL’s stingiest squad.

“It’s important that we continue to try to improve in the areas that the last few weeks I think we have,” said Lowry.

“That’s defence, that’s the chances we are giving up, neutralizing the rush, if we can play better defensively in front and then we can make Coms’ job more easier for him then we can kind of continue climbing the standings.”

Helping to offset the loss of Hellebuyck is the fact the Jets have recently returned to being near full health. Lowry, shutdown defenceman Dylan Samberg and scoring winger Cole Perfetti were all injured at the beginning of the year, and forwards Morgan Barron, Gustav Nyquist and Cole Koepke have also missed games due to various hurts.

Depth defenceman Haydn Fleury (concussion protocol) is the only other player currently on the injured list, and he’s getting closer to a return.

The Jets have called up Thomas Milic from the Manitoba Moose to serve as Comrie’s backup. The 22-year-old is in his third pro season but has yet to play an NHL game. He is 5-2-2 with a 2.14 GAA and .921 SV% in nine AHL games this year.

Winnipeg’s schedule includes three sets of back-to-backs over the next six weeks, meaning Milic could soon make his debut.

“I know it is different with goaltending but at the end of the day it is next man up, it really is,” said Arniel. “We are not replacing Connor but, at the end of the day, our group has to be real good in front of Comrie and good in front of Milic, as well.”

It’s also possible the Jets look for other avenues to fill the void, whether it’s through the trade market, a waiver wire pickup or a free agent signing.

One potential option might be 35-year-old Michael Hutchinson, who has 154 career NHL games on his resumé, 102 of those with the Jets between 2013-2017. He’s currently living in Winnipeg — his wife owns Jenna Rae Cakes — after spending last season playing in Finland.

Hutchinson actually made an appearance at Jets practice on Monday, filling in for Hellebuyck.

Winnipegger Isaac Poulter, who signed with the organization as a free agent last summer, has been summoned from the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals to take Milic’s spot and join second-year pro Dom DiVincentiis with the Moose.

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