Ehlers sheds non-contact practice jersey, won’t play against Vegas on Friday

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This article was published 21/02/2019 (2403 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LAS VEGAS – Nikolaj Ehlers through no fault of his own has been of no use to the Winnipeg Jets for seven weeks now.

His inability to contribute has stung more than the injury – believed to be a damaged wrist or shoulder – that has sidelined him for 20 games.

Ehlers won’t be available Friday night, either, after head coach Paul Maurice ruled him out when the struggling Jets try to rebound against the Golden Knights.

“It’s not fun. Obviously, you’re still part of the team but you kind of feel like you’re letting down the guys because you want to help, you want to help this team get back,” Ehlers said, following Thursday’s practice at T-Mobile Arena.

“Not playing and just watching and talking to the guys, it’s tough.”

Ehlers was out of his protective uniform but still hasn’t been given the green light to be play. The speedy winger filled in for Blake Wheeler on the right side with centre Mark Scheifele and left-winger Kyle Connor, trading a yellow ‘no-contact’ jersey for a regular white sweater.

Wheeler, who blasted the team Thursday in his post-game comments after Winnipeg suffered a 7-1 beating at the hands of the host Colorado Avalanche, took maintenance day but will be in the lineup against the Golden Knights.

The Jets have lacked quickness for a couple of weeks now, and Ehlers’ return would certainly be a welcomed boost. He’s also proven to be a dangerous weapon, fired 15 goals in 40 games, although his goals tend to come in streaks. He scored a hat-trick Dec. 20 in San Jose and then was goalless in four contests before getting hurt early in game Jan. 4 in Pittsburgh.

He collided with star centre Sidney Crosby, immediately went to the dressing room, returned for a shift and then was done for the night.

“I came onto the bench, kind of felt something was wrong but got into the trainers’ room and took a look at it. Kind of with the adrenaline going a bit, you feel fine and you try to go out there again,” he said, before adding emphatically, “That did not work out.”

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The addition of Ehlers could have a residual effect for the Jets. The 23-year-old from Aaborg, Denmark has skated alongside Patrik Laine for long stretches in the past, and could help the young Finn end his perplexing scoring slump, now at 15 games.

It’s no secret the two are close buddies away from the rink as well, but Ehlers didn’t let Laine – stuck at 25 goals since Jan. 13 – off the hook.

“It sucks for us, it sucks for him, but he’s a big boy. He knows what he needs to do and he’s just gotta go out and do it,” he said. “We’re all playing for the team here. We’ve got what, 20 games left? This is a matter of getting back to the game.

“He’s played a pretty good game besides that he hasn’t scored. He wants to score, we want him to score, he’s a big part of this team. So, it’ll come.”

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell