The Winnipeg Jets have activated center Mark Scheifele off injured reserve, the club announced Tuesday afternoon.
Scheifele, 30, has 14 goals and 41 points in 41 games with the Jets this season. The veteran forward suffered an upper-body injury in Winnipeg’s 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on January 9.
In a corresponding move, the Jets placed forward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby on waivers. The 25-year-old winger has two goals and five points in 26 games with the Jets this season.
Scheifele is expected to return to the lineup when the Jets take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. CT.
The Jets made Scheifele their first draft choice after the franchise relocated from Atlanta when they selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft.
The Kitchener, Ontario product made his NHL debut with the Jets the following season and established himsefl as a regular in 2013-14. Through 764 career games with the Jets, Scheifele has collected 286 goals and 686 points; he’s added 19 goals and 32 points in 37 playoff contests.
Scheifele skated between Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi at the Jets’ pre-game skate in Pittsburgh on Tuesday morning. Those three players have already combined for 90 points in 99 games this season.
Veteran center Sean Monahan is expected to make his debut as the Jets’ No. 2 center behind Scheifele against the Penguins. Monahan did not skate on Tuesday morning; Rasmus Kupari filled in between Cole Perfetti and Nikolaj Ehlers for the pre-game twirl.
The Jets currently rank third in the NHL’s Central Division with a 30-12-5 record and 65 points through 47 games this season. They are firmly in the playoff picture and have already traded their first-round pick, opting to move it to Montreal in exchange for Monahan’s services for the rest of the season.
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