Jets moves on Trade Deadline Day confirm Moose playoff-eligible players, leave Winnipeg with three recalls

There are new elements in play this season that bear mentioning so folks will understand how things work now that the NHL roster freeze, which mandated a 23-man maximum cap compliant roster, is no longer in effect. Teams are now simply required to be cap compliant but no longer bound to have just 23 players.

Previously you were only allowed to recall four (4) players from your AHL affiliate. There was (and remains) an allowance for emergency purposes but generally speaking team’s were limited to four. That has since changed to five (5) although you’re only allowed to have four players up at one time.

This all factors in as, if you wanted a prospect or player to be eligible for your AHL team’s playoffs, then they needed to be on the AHL roster yesterday. So the Jets sent Walker Duehr and Isaak Phillips down in the morning ensuring both would be available to the Moose for the post-season.

We also learned from GM Kevin Cheveldayoff that they had “papered” Elias Salomonsson (which basically means sending a player down but not actually doing so). Interestingly, the new CBA requires a player to play in an AHL game before he can be recalled with Trade Deadline Day being the exception to said rule which is why Salomonsson didn’t have to play a game. The good news for Manitoba is the next time he is in antlers it will be for them in the playoffs.

Lastly, they recalled Brad Lambert up to the Jets where he will spend the foreseeable future but he will also be eligible to play in the Moose playoffs.

That means the above four players will all be available for Manitoba when the playoffs come around.

Interestingly, they chose not to paper Ville Heinola, who played 44 games for the Moose this year, but perhaps they were giving him latitude to head to the World Championships in mid May when the NHL season concludes rather than spending time in the American League.

As well Cheveldayoff advised that Isak Rosén, who would be the top goal and points player on Manitoba would be staying up with the Jets. That’s a curious decision as he would have been a big boon to the AHL club but that’s what the organization decided was best.

This means that Winnipeg has three recalls left to make for the remainder of the season.