Lost in all the excitement of the NHL All-Star weekend was a report from Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, detailing an injury to the Jets’ Jacob Trouba. Wiebe writes that Trouba will be out with an ankle injury for six to eight weeks, a huge blow to the already hurting Jets.
Now in his fifth season in the NHL, Trouba has blossomed into a dynamic two-way defender for the Jets, capable of playing in all situations against any competition. The 23-year old trails only Dustin Byfuglien in average ice time, and Tyler Myers in points among Jets’ defenders. Losing him for nearly two months will put a huge stress on Winnipeg’s blue line, and could lead to a potential trade to add some depth.
While Tucker Poolman will likely be asked to fill a bigger role, the team could go out and add a piece to fill Trouba’s role. If that’s true, they have the prospect talent to land some of the league’s biggest fishes.
The Jets are headed for a playoff spot for the first time since 2014-15 and only the third time in franchise history that goes back to Atlanta in 1999-00. Even with injuries to Mark Scheifele and now Trouba, the team sits in first place in the Central Division and looks as capable as anyone to come out of the Western Conference playoffs.