Dec 18, 2014
Jets D Stuart out until February with lower-body injury
The Winnipeg Jets have lost another defenceman to injury. Head coach Paul Maurice announced that Mark Stuart will be out until February with a lower-body injury. This is just the latest in a series of injuries to the Jets blueline. Tobias Enstrom, Zach Bogosian and Jacob Trouba are all suffering from various ailments.
The Canadian Press
WINNIPEG - Mark Stuart has joined the Winnipeg Jets' growing list of injured defencemen.
Head coach Paul Maurice announced after Thursday's practice that Stuart has a lower-body injury that will keep him out of the lineup until February.
Maurice said Stuart's injury occurred during a fight with Buffalo winger Nicolas Deslauriers late in Winnipeg's 5-1 victory over the Sabres on Tuesday.
Stuart joins injured defencemen Jacob Trouba, Zach Bogosian and Toby Enstrom.
Trouba went out of the lineup earlier this week with an undisclosed "pre-existing condition" that will keep him off the ice until February. He was placed on injured reserve on Thursday
Enstrom (lower body) could be back skating in early January, while Bogosian (lower body) may start skating in mid-January, Maurice said.
"Clearly, it wasn't the news we needed to hear," Maurice said. "We don't have a lot of defencemen to spare at this point.
"It's the same line I gave two, three days ago — this is our adversity. This is what we have to deal with. Every team will have their stretch.
"I haven't been in a situation where I've seen that number of guys that play at that level of your depth chart (out) for such an extended period of time. You can get into runs where you've got one or two of your top four out but two or three games. But this is quite a bit more significant."
The Jets made a move Thursday to try and shore up the defence, acquiring veteran defenceman Jay Harrison from Carolina for a sixth-round pick in the 2015 NHL draft.
Defenceman Julien Brouilette was called up from the AHL St. John's IceCaps on Dec. 4 and will be in the lineup when the Jets host the Boston Bruins on Friday.
Forward Evander Kane didn't skate at practice, but Maurice said he'll be fine for the game.