Winnipeg Jets health updates from head coach Rick Bowness on Gustafsson, Heinola and Kupari

The last time we got an update on this trio was just four days ago but after morning skate today in Winnipeg head coach Rick Bowness was asked for updates on Rasmus Kupari, Ville Heinola and David Gustafsson.

The reason being that Rasmus Kupari and Ville Heinola were both wearing regular jerseys at morning skate. Now they came on once the formal part had concluded so there wasn’t going to be any banging and crashing but it seemed notable to those of us in attendance watching skate. Additionally David Gustafsson was not on the ice after being place on IR on Sunday but with it being retroactive to the Bruins game he was eligible to be off of it if he was healthy.

On Rasmus Kupari and Ville Heinola:

“They’re getting closer that’s all that means. And there wasn’t going to be any contact out there, a morning skate, had there been contact drills Ville probably would have been in the no-contact jersey but Kup is ready for the battles. The problem I’m facing now is the schedule and the travel and there’s no practice time. So what we have to do with both of them is get them out there and do as much as we can in morning skates.”

Asked if he expects Rasmus Kupari back on the road trip:

“We’ll have to see. We’re going to have an optional here tomorrow morning and we’ll work him again. We’ll work him again on Thursday. It’s day-to-day and we’ll see how he handles it all.”

On David Gustafsson:

“He wasn’t out there today so it’s a few more days clearly before he even skates.”

Asked if he was hurt in the morning skate in Chicago on December 27th he added:

“No. He just kinda felt it from the game before (vs Boston on the 22nd) and he tried a couple of movements. He felt it. No need to play him. We’re not going to play an injured player and risk it going further.”

And that’s the latest on the Jets injured players.