Big club marking Dano’s return to Moose

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This article was published 23/11/2018 (2479 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. PAUL — It’s not quite a full-blown homecoming. But Marko Dano is headed back to Winnipeg, albeit to wear a different jersey for the time being.

Dano, 23, was claimed on waivers by the Jets Friday, one day after the Colorado Avalanche put him on the hockey scrap heap.

The Jets immediately sent Dano down to the Manitoba Moose.

Winnipeg had tried to move Dano to the AHL in mid-October, only to have the Avalanche intercept by claiming him off waivers.

Dano didn’t produce any points in eight games with Colorado while also spending a handful of games as a healthy scratch.

The Jets were interested in Dano for forward depth, losing Kristian Vesalainen to the KHL this week and Moose forward Dennis Everberg to Switzerland earlier in the month.

“We like him as a player, we like the depth. Especially with Kristian opting to return to Europe. We have another NHL-ready player in our system,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said Friday.

As the team that initially waived him, Winnipeg had the right to send Dano directly to the Moose once all 30 other NHL clubs took a pass on him Friday.

Dano, the 27th-overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft, was acquired by the Jets in February 2016 as part of the trade that sent Andrew Ladd to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Dano played 82 games with the Jets over parts of four seasons, scoring 10 goals and adding 12 assists. He was a healthy scratch for every game this season prior to being put on waivers, and spent much of last season also sitting in the press box waiting for an opportunity that never came.

“That would be a big piece of why we wanted to have him back. We know the character and we know how he handles himself during a year, even in difficult times. That’s part of that job, being ready, and he was all last year, so he fits our culture,” said Maurice.

Dano shed about 15 pounds over the summer, then had a good camp with the Jets, scoring two pre-season goals. But there was just no room for him as players such as Jack Roslovic, Nic Petan, Brendan Lemieux and Vesalainen were all given shots.

Maurice said the plan for Dano with the Moose is simple.

“Touch the puck, get his minutes up, get something that he hasn’t had for a while and get into a real rotation,” he said.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @mikemcintyrewpg