The Winnipeg Jets will be without one-third of their top line on a week-to-week basis.
Gabriel Vilardi suffered an upper-body injury in the third period during the Jets’ 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
Head coach Scott Arniel described it as a “freak” injury and is unrelated to the puck to the head that Vilardi took in the game’s opening period.
Vilardi missed 35 games in 2023-24 after suffering a sprained MCL. The pending restricted free agent has 61 points (27G, 34A) in 71 games, all of which are career highs for the 25-year-old.
This is a serious blow to the Jets, as Vilardi is part of the team’s league-leading first-line scoring. Many are looking at what the team might’ve done at the trade deadline for injury insurance, but nobody could’ve predicted this.
With Vilardi officially listed as week-to-week, John Lu of TSN noted that the Jets forward will miss the remainder of the regular season and that his playoff status is undetermined.
The Jets are already dealing with another key player out week-to-week in Neal Pionk who’s been out since March 11th. Pionk remains out with a lower-body injury and Arniel has mentioned that Pionk has yet to resume skating.
Heading into the final stretch of games in the 2024-25 season, the Winnipeg Jets continue their heritage homestand when they welcome the Washington Capitals. Winnipeg owns the second-best record in the NHL while Washington owns the best record. Meanwhile, both teams own the best records in their respective conferences.
ITR 39: Conference Finals – Inside The Rink
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