Hellebuyck one step closer to returning

Scott Arniel wasn’t playing coy, he just doesn’t want to get ahead of himself.

When it comes to the health of Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, the fact he joined his teammates for Wednesday’s skate was nothing more than the next important steps on his road to recovery after undergoing arthroscropic knee surgery last month.

At least for the time being.

“He’s getting closer. The workload is going up, so you’re probably going to see a lot more of that,” said Arniel, who was asked a follow up question about whether or not the timeline had shifted from the initial four-to-six weeks. “I’m not a doctor. I don’t know. You know what? He’s feeling really good. Two things. What happens after a big day like today, how he feels when he wakes up in the morning. And then the other side is conditioning. Those are the two biggest things for him.”

Hellebuyck made his last start on Nov. 15 and had surgery one week later, with the expectation being that the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner might not be ready to return to game action before Dec. 27 against the Minnesota Wild in the first game out of the Christmas break.

Depending on how things progress during the coming days, the door could be open for Hellebuyck to be between the pipes as early as next week, when the Jets open a three-game road trip against Central Division opponents that include the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche and Utah Mammoth.

“Obviously, he’s a Vezina and Hart Trophy winning goaltender and he’s a massive part of this team,” said Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey. “We’ve missed him, of course for his on-ice contribution but also just having him in the locker room. Every player who has gone through injury, it’s tough when you’re away from the team and away from the guys, on your psyche.

“So, it’s nice to have him back and looking great and seemingly ahead of schedule. That’s great news all around.”

Hellebuyck is 8-6 so far this season with a 2.51 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in 14 starts.

“He probably would have played a week ago if it was up to him,” said Morrissey. “He’s been working really hard to try and get back as fast as he can in the best condition he can. I have no doubt that he will be able to do that.”

Hellebuyck had been out on the ice this week doing some movement work, but seeing him out with the group for the first time since undergoing surgery provided an emotional lift for a team that’s trying to work its way out of a 5-11-1 funk.

“He is awesome and it’s great to have him back in the mix with the guys,” said Jets winger Cole Perfetti. “We talk about his play a lot, and that speaks for itself, but his energy in the room — he is a pretty talkative guy, always upbeat, no matter how high or low we are as a group or individuals.

“He is pretty even keeled and always there to lighten the mood and have a great time with it. It is great to have him back and great to be around him and great to see him back on the ice. When we get him back on the ice that is going to be a huge bump from our group.”

Jets backup Eric Comrie has started 11 of the past 12 games for the Jets and that number should be on the rise as the Jets continue a four-game homestand against the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

Comrie, who is up to 14 appearances this season, had a pair of excellent starts last week in a shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens and a win over the Buffalo Sabres, but he was also mercy pulled twice.

After giving up four goals on 19 shots on goal in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars, Comrie is now 6-7-1 with a 3.16 goals-against average and .892 save percentage.

Domenic DiVincentiis, who was recalled from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League on Monday, is expected to make his first NHL start in goal during this homestand, though there has been no indication yet as to when that might take place.

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