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.
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.
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 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.