In addition to this miserable stretch, the Winnipeg Jets will be without another defender Nathan Beaulieu was ruled out due to injury through the All-Star break, the club announced on Friday.
After the team’s morning practice at the Canada Life Center, interim coach Dave Lowry revealed that Beaulieu suffered an abdominal injury during Thursday’s defeat to the Vancouver Canucks. As a result, he will remain in Winnipeg during this upcoming two-game road trip to conclude the unofficial first half of the regular season.
#NHLJets Nathan Beaulieu (lower body injury) will not make the 2-match road trip with the team. The hope is that Dylan DeMelo and / or Josh Morrissey might be available for Tuesday’s game is PHI.
– Sara Orlesky (@saraorlesky) 28 January 2022
Beaulieu, 29, is the youngest member of the Jets’ quickly exhausted blue line who has been sidelined due to injury, joining Dylan DeMelo (bolyf), Logan Stanley (lower body), Dylan Samberg (upper body) and Josh Morrissey (COVID-19).
Without these five blue liners, Winnipeg will be forced to call in additional defenders of its prospect system, who will either see Declan Chisholm or Leon Gawanke retires as an injury substitute. In addition, newcomer Johnathan Kovacevicwho made his NHL debut on Thursday, is also expected to be activated for a second consecutive game of the taxi group.
Based on Friday’s practice, here’s the Jets’ projected defensive pairings for Saturday’s competition:
Brenden Dillon – Nate Schmidt
Ville Heinola – Neal Pionk
Chisholm – Kovacevic
Winnipeg will try to secure its six-game losing streak against St. Louis on Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. To end Louis Blues.
