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Marko Dano’s Illustrious Winnipeg Jets Career Comes to an End

By Kyle McCarthy

WINNIPEG, MB - MARCH 15: Jack Roslovic #52 and Marko Dano #56 of the Winnipeg Jets share a laugh at the bench prior to puck drop against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Bell MTS Place on March 15, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - MARCH 15: Jack Roslovic #52 and Marko Dano #56 of the Winnipeg Jets share a laugh at the bench prior to puck drop against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Bell MTS Place on March 15, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Winnipeg Jets wave goodbye to a hero, a star, someone we could all believe in. His illustrious career with the Jets may be over, but he lives on in our hearts. And the Colorado Avalanche bench.

The Winnipeg Jets never seemed inclined to give Marko Dano a shot. After being acquired by the Blackhawks for Brandon Saad, he was shipped to the Jets for Andrew Ladd. Fun.

But he never really got off the ground with Winnipeg. He played, sparingly, over parts of three seasons, totaling exactly a full season’s worth of games with them. How convenient.

Over those 82 contests, he scored 10 goals and had 12 assists. Dano was a former first rounder, hence the fact that someone actually claimed him despite any track record.

I always think of Dano as a Lee Stempniak. Nobody really wants him, but if they need someone, they’ll take him. And he could do a thing of two.

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Dano is obviously talented. The Jets weren’t a fan of him, so I honestly don’t really know what his game is like. I never see him play. I’ll probably see him more now with Colorado. I hope good things for Dano in the future.

Back before the Jets were teeming with bottom six (and top six, to be fair) forwards, I was really pushing for Dano to play. I wanted to see what he had. Paul Maurice knew, and he felt like his team didn’t need it.

They don’t need Dano, and Dano apparently doesn’t need them. It’s a disappointing end to a mildly interesting storyline we’ve all been following for over two seasons now. And it’s all over.

Sometimes, that’s how these fringe players work out. I’m surprised it didn’t happen earlier. We knew the end was near in preseason, when every young forward the Jets have sitting in the AHL proved they were worthy of NHL time in the future.

Dano wasn’t getting priority over guys like Chris Thorburn. He certainly wasn’t going to get it over Jack Roslovic, Kristian Vesalainen and whoever else is stashed away in the AHL that has a future with Winnipeg.

Next. Winnipeg Jets Meet NFL Stars. dark

It’s okay. We’ve all wondered about what Dano had in store for us, and now we’ll know. Just…not here. And that’s not a big deal. It’s not the story we envisioned, but it was always the most likely.

See ya,  Dano. Good luck, bud. Don’t score on the Jets.

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