Here are three players the Winnipeg Jets should call up from the AHL Manitoba Moose to get some playing time in the final eleven games of the season.
When the Winnipeg Jets lost on home ice 3 – 1 against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night the dream of making this year’s playoffs essentially ended.
Heading into the game Wednesday night the Jets had twelve games remaining and realistically needed to win ten to have any chance of making the final Wild Card playoff spot. With seven games remaining against teams who have earned a playoff spot, the Jets desperately needed to beat any teams that are currently below them in the standings.
That is precisely why Wednesday’s loss against the Red Wings was so crushing for the team. The Red Wings were long out of the playoff hunt and were coming off of a game the previous night against the Boston Bruins.
In a game where the Jets were well-rested, and seemingly highly motivated, the team came out completely flat. While the Jets have not been mathematically eliminated from the postseason, their odds of making the playoffs currently sit at approximately 1%.
It’s time that Jets management and coaches start looking towards next season for the club, and give some prospects some time with the big club. Colleague Kieran Hurley wrote a great article here about one of the Jets’ defense prospects, Leon Gawanke, who has earned some games with the big club.
Given that the Jets season is essentially over, here are three other prospects that the Jets should give some playing time to in the final eleven games.
3. Jeff Malott
Second year pro, Jeff Malott has had an impressive year with the Manitoba Moose. The forward, who played four years of college hockey at Cornell University, is the leading scorer for the Manitoba Moose sitting with 21 goals, 15 assists, for 36 points in 54 AHL games this season.
Malott was signed to a one-year, two-way contract by the Jets for the 2021-22 season this past May, and has appeared in one game with the big club. Malott was also a college hockey teammate of newly acquired Jets forward Morgan Barron.
Malott has good size at 6’3″ and 200 pounds, skates well, and is willing to drive to the net, which is something even Jets interim head coach Dave Lowry has said the team has lacked this season.
It might be time for Malott to audition for a spot on the fourth line for next season, as he might be a low salary cap replacement to someone on the current roster.