Photo Credit: Colby Spence
Veteran defenceman Dmitry Kulikov has been out of the Jets lineup since the first period of a game against the Ducks in Anaheim back on November 29th. A few days after the injury occurred Jets bench boss Paul Maurice indicated that Kulikov was expected to be out with an upper-body injury until the All-Star Break (January 26th).
With Kulikov ditching his non-contact jersey for a normal one today at practice in Toronto his coach was asked if he could be ready for a return tomorrow night against the Leafs. “Possibly an option tomorrow. We’ll get him through his day here today. See where he’s at. I’m not sure I’m putting him into a back-to-back off that injury. But he may be a player for us in one of the next two.”
His return would be roughly two weeks ahead of schedule and would help solidify the Jets backend during a critical stretch.
He's closing in on his first game since January 13th.
The 2024 2nd rounder is in Winnipeg where he'll spend the rest of the season…
At the GM meetings GMKC spoke 1-on-1 with Gino Reda.