The Winnipeg Jets have brought Brendan Lemieux up from the minor leagues to replace Adam Lowry, who has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to October 12th. Lowry is dealing with an upper body injury, and didn’t play on Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Lemieux—the son of famed NHL pest Claude Lemieux—was the Buffalo Sabres’ second-round pick in 2014, 31st overall. He was included in the Evander Kane/Tyler Myers swap in 2015 while still unsigned, but inked with the Jets and eventually began his professional career in 2016-17. Scoring just 19 points last year for the Manitoba Moose, he showed off his bloodlines with 130 penalty minutes. This year, his offensive upside has shown off in the first few games, scoring five points through his first four contests. This is a prospect who scored 41 goals in 57 games for the Barrie Colts as an 18-year old, and there is plenty of potential left in the tank.
Lowry had been held scoreless through the first four games, but is an interesting piece going forward for the Jets. After scoring 15 goals last season, the 6’5″ forward seemed poised to take another step forward offensively. After all, he’s only 24 and has shown an ability in the minor leagues. His role down the middle is secure for now, but the team will need to find other answers at the center position for the time being.
Ha! “…son of famed NHL pest Claude Lemieux…” I always liked watching Claude drive teams crazy.