For the next two months, the Winnipeg Jets may be without their finest offensive player. The Jets declared on Wednesday that forward Kyle Connor will miss six to eight weeks due to a knee injury and has been placed on injured reserve.
On December 10, during the second period of the Jets’ game against the Anaheim Ducks, Connor and Ducks forward Ryan Strome collided knee-to-knee. Although Strome was given a game misconduct and a five-minute major at the time, the NHL Department of Player Safety decided not to impose any further sanctions.The Jets’ timeline indicates that Connor might make his comeback as early as the game on January 24 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. If the timing is lengthier than expected, Connor won’t return until the San Jose Sharks game on February 14.
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.
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