Winnipeg Jets: Three Players That Should Be Called Up From the AHL
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.
2. Dylan Samberg
While Jets fan Twitter rages over the merits of playing either Ville Heinola or Logan Stanley as the sixth defenseman with the club, likely the best Jets defense prospect, Dylan Samberg, continues to excel in the AHL for the Manitoba Moose.
Fortunately for the young defenseman, the Jets called him up on April 7 on an emergency basis and reassigned Ville Heinola to the Manitoba Moose. Samberg has played in 32 games for the Moose this season and has put up 12 points.
While his offensive output has not been great at the AHL level, Samberg is a defenseman that the Moose rely on to play heavy minutes in a variety of situations including extensive time on penalty killing. The Jets have waited patiently for Samberg through his four-year college career with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and in his initial pro seasons, which were unfortunately hampered by injuries.
Samberg is a big, physical defenseman who moves the puck well out of his own end. His lack of offense likely limits him as a top pair player at the NHL level, but he could slide nicely into a second pair role with the big club. The Jets may even be auditioning him with the hopes that he may be able to replace one of the club’s more expensive veteran defensemen next season.
1. David Gustafsson
It seems that most writers who follow the Jets agree that the Moose player most ready to make the jump to the NHL is David Gustafsson. Yet, Gustafsson has only been with the big club for two games this season, while playing 43 games in the AHL.
Unfortunately, injuries have impacted Gustafsson’s ability to play with the big club thus far in his short professional career. And on April 6 he received more bad news as he was placed into Covid protocol, meaning that he would be unavailable for either the Moose or Jets.
Gustafsson seems like a perfect fit as a bottom-six center in the NHL with his size, intelligence, and faceoff ability. Former Manitoba Moose head coach, and current Columbus Blue Jackets associate coach, Pascal Vincent, raved about the young center.
Gustafsson has had a good year offensively with the Moose with 28 points in 43 AHL games this season. More importantly, he has logged big minutes with the Moose including time on the penalty kill and power play.
Hopefully, the young prospect will get some time with the big club before the season ends. If not, I would expect that a bottom-six forward position with the Jets next season would be Gustafsson’s to lose given the vacancies that will exist.
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Winnipeg Jets Fans: Who do you think the Winnipeg Jets should call up from the Manitoba Moose for the last eleven games? Leave your comments below!
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