The Winnipeg Jets could be without their best offensive player for the next two months. On Wednesday, the Jets announced that forward Kyle Connor has been placed on injured reserve and will miss six to eight weeks with a knee injury.
In the second period of the Jets’ game against the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 10, Connor was involved in a knee-to-knee collision with Ducks forward Ryan Strome. At the time, Strome was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct, but the NHL Department of Player Safety chose not to hand down any supplemental discipline.
Based on the timeline given by the Jets, the earliest Connor could return would be the Jan. 24 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. If it is on the longer end of the timeline, Connor wouldn’t be back until the Feb. 14 game against the San Jose Sharks.
Either way, this is a huge blow to the Jets’ playoff chances, especially with the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild surging behind them. Connor leads Winnipeg in goals with 17, and it’s not a close race. His next closest teammates, Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti, each have nine.
If Winnipeg is going to hold onto a top-three spot in the Central Division while Connor is out, it will need contributions from other players. Speedy and skilled winger Nikolaj Ehlers could play a bigger role, and he has 30-goal potential.
Most importantly, Connor Hellebuyck will have to keep playing like a perennial Vezina Trophy candidate in goal. He can keep the Jets in any game they play, and he may not get much run support over the next month or two.
