Gabe Vilardi Diagnosed With an Enlarged Spleen, No Timeline for his Return

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Graham Montgomery
March 15, 2024 (3:05 PM)

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The Winnipeg Jets made the biggest move of the offseason when they dealt Pierre Luc-Dubois to the Kings. One of the players they got in return was Gabe Vilardi, but his injury status has been an ongoing issue all season long. Today he got some more bad news.

Gabe Vilardi Out Indefinitely With Enlarged Spleen

Jets reporter Mike McIntyre confirmed this morning that the Jets winger has been diagnosed with an enlarged spleen. This is a serious condition that will keep the winger out of the lineup for an unknown period of time. What we do know though, it that he won't be traveling with the team on their road trip, so he will almost certainly miss at least the next five games.

#NHLJets coach Rick Bowness says Gabe Vilardi has been diagnosed with an enlarged spleen. This is something that recently was discovered. He won't travel with the team for the five-game trip. No timeline on a return. He's getting treatment.

Making matters worse is the fact that the team doctors were not even looking for this problem. The forward has been dealing with other health issues this season and they were hoping to help treat a separate issue when the enlarged spleen was discovered.

Per the #NHLJets, the spleen issue with Gabe Vilardi was just diagnosed as part of an ongoing medical evaluation pertaining to a different (undisclosed) issue. So plenty of mystery about the whole situation.

Jets Gear Up For Long Playoff Run In Tight Central Division Race

Luckily for the Jets, they have been very active on the trade market this season. The team has brought in multiple forwards to help bolster their core. Most notably, the team brought in Tyler Toffoli from the Devils. As a winger, he should be able to fill Vilardi's spot in the lineup for the time being. After all, Toffoli has been very good this season in his own right.

The team also brought in Sean Monahan to bolster their depth down the middle.

The Jets are currently 3rd in the central division, although they are just one point back of the Dallas Stars with three games in hand. They have two games in hand on the Avalanche, who are tied with the Stars at 89 points.