Jets Recall Danny Zhilkin, Place Haydn Fleury On IR
The Jets announced they’ve recalled forward Danny Zhilkin from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Defenseman Haydn Fleury was placed on injured reserve in the corresponding move. He’s been diagnosed with a broken nose and bruised back after needing to be stretchered off the ice in last night’s game, with the team’s Mitchell Clinton noting he was discharged from the hospital and back around the team today.
Zhilkin could figure to make his NHL debut against the Oilers, although that’s uncertain. The 22-year-old is in his third season of pro hockey, all with the Jets organization. He was a third-round pick out of the OHL’s Guelph Storm in 2022, but because of his December birthday, he only needed to spend one post-draft year in juniors before making the jump to the AHL.
The 6’1″ pivot has understandably struggled to make much of an impact offensively in Manitoba, one of the AHL’s worst clubs over the past few years. He’s slowly been working on finding more minutes and upping his production, already reaching a career-high 14 points in 30 appearances this season.
The Moscow-born Canadian was a raw-skill pickup. He’s not much of a physical factor, nor is he an above-average skater, but his hockey sense and puckhandling skills have long been touted as potentially being NHL-caliber. His limited AHL production dropped him out of being a top-10 or even top-15 prospect in Winnipeg’s system by most rankings, but it appears he’ll get a chance in the coming days to reward the Jets’ faith.
Fleury’s diagnosis, a potential concussion notwithstanding, is close to the best-case scenario after a hospital visit. The 29-year-old had returned from a concussion just last month, though, so they’ll be highly cautious in his return-to-play protocol. The seventh overall pick of the 2014 draft has gone without a point and has a -7 rating in 17 contests for Winnipeg this year.
Winnipeg Jets Reassign Danny Zhilkin To AHL
The Winnipeg Jets organization has announced that prospect forward Danny Zhilkin has been reassigned from the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers to the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. This reassignment comes after the Rangers fell in their second-round playoff series to the London Knights in five games.
The move allows Zhilkin, 19, to be with the Moose as they embark on what they hope will be a long Calder Cup playoff run. The Moose begin their first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday, and while it’s somewhat unlikely that Zhilkin actually sees the ice, he will get a firsthand experience to see what playoff hockey looks like at the professional level.
Zhilkin is a 2022 third-round pick who has not yet made his professional debut. He earned the right to be a 2022 top-80 selection off the back of a solid 2021-22 OHL season, where he scored 55 points in 66 games for the Guelph Storm, while also serving as an alternate captain. This season, he scored 26 points in 25 games for Guelph before being dealt to the Kitchener Rangers.
Zhilkin scored 17 goals and 30 points in 35 games in Kitchener and helped them achieve one of the most significant upsets in recent CHL history. Zhilkin and the Rangers swept the first-seeded Windsor Spitfires, who were led by 2022 fourth-overall pick Shane Wright.
While their run fizzled out after that victory, Zhilkin got his first real taste of being a difference-maker in playoff hockey. Now, he’ll take more of a backseat role watching Manitoba as the team attempts to defeat the Admirals and make it to the Central Division Finals.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Danny Zhilkin To Entry-Level Contract
The Winnipeg Jets have signed 2022 draft choice Danny Zhilkin to a three-year, entry-level contract. Zhilkin’s agent, Dan Milstein, announced the news Friday morning.
PuckPedia reports Zhilkin’s contract carries an $860,000 cap hit with a $775,000 NHL salary in all three years. The remainder is paid in signing and performance bonuses.
Winnipeg drafted Zhilkin, who just turned 19 earlier this month, with the 77th overall selection in 2022. Viewed by some as a potential late first-round pick at the time, Zhilkin fell to Winnipeg in the third round.
He’s doing well in his third season with the OHL’s Guelph Storm, with 25 points in 23 games. He’s a well-rounded offensive talent, but some two-way concerns kept him further down on the draft board.