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Winnipeg Jets Give the Reins to Jack Roslovic After Ehlers Injury

By Kyle McCarthy

WINNIPEG, MB - DECEMBER 16: Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning deflects the puck over the net as Jack Roslovic #28 of the Winnipeg Jets looks on during second period action at the Bell MTS Place on December 16, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Jets defeated the Lightning 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - DECEMBER 16: Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning deflects the puck over the net as Jack Roslovic #28 of the Winnipeg Jets looks on during second period action at the Bell MTS Place on December 16, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Jets defeated the Lightning 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Winnipeg Jets are now dealing with injuries to maybe their best defenseman and a first line forward. But with a vacancy comes an opportunity.

The Winnipeg Jets needed to see more out of Jack Roslovic. But apparently Paul Maurice saw enough to have faith in him.

With Nikolaj Ehlers being injured against the Penguins, Winnipeg needed someone to fill his spot on the first line. I immediately thought Kyle Connor, who played up there with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler most of last season.

But instead, Maurice and Co. opted to keep Connor on the second line and shake things up at the top. Jack Roslovic is moving up from the fourth line to play alongside the two best players on the Jets, while Nic Petan will move into the lineup for Roslovic.

Would I have done this? Maybe. It shows a lot of faith in Roslovic, which is a thing the Jets haven’t been doing this season. He plays a shade under eight minutes a night and has just two goals and six assists, one of which was a couple games ago in Edmonton.

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But now he’ll likely get premium minutes, at least at 5-on-5, and he’ll be alongside two fantastic passers. The opportunities will be there. And hey, one of our resolutions was to see a young player develop.

Roslovic getting to play on a line with two dudes on pace for 100+ points is just about the best thing I can think of to help him along. Can he capitalize? We’ll see. It’s a shame to see Ehlers miss time, however.

Ehlers’ 15 tallies are the third most on the team, actually, behind Patrik Laine and Scheifele. After taking an awkward hit against the Pens, he’ll be out until mid-February, it seems.

Nic Petan was once a Winnipeg Jets top prospect, but now he finds himself new life. After playing 54 games (with 1 goal and 12 assists), he played just 15 games last season. Petan’s participated in thirteen contests this year, racking up two assists in the process.

He doesn’t have a ton of upside, but could be a steady fourth liner. It’s good to see him get regular time after sticking it out this long.

Will Ehlers be missed? Almost certainly. Although Roslovic has plenty of upside, I doubt he’ll be able to match the production of Ehlers. It would be nice to see him have a little breakout late in his rookie season, however.

The Winnipeg Jets have six goals in four games since the break, however, and that’s not going to cut it. Unsurprisingly, they’ve lost three of them. Four goals in the win, two combined in three losses. Ugly ugly ugly.

Next. Winnipeg Should Make a Move for a Depth Piece. dark

I doubt Roslovic provides the impetus for a turnaround, but I’m unconcerned about the lack of scoring long term. Later against the Stars? I’m a little worried about that.

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