The Winnipeg Jets were dealt a blow in their pursuit of the Dallas Stars atop the Central Division when the team announced that forward Cole Perfetti was moved to the injured reserve on Tuesday afternoon.
Perfetti last played on Feb. 19 in a losing effort to the New Jersey Devils and collected his eighth goal.
The 21-year-old has 30 points in 51 games played on the year, placing him third in the NHL rookie scoring race.
Perfetti, the 10th overall pick in the 2020 draft, had been playing on Winnipeg’s first line since the All-Star break. The left-handed shot’s plus-10 rating paces the Jets.
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby will cover the injured Perfetti’s spot on the roster. Jonsson-Fjallby had previously cleared waivers and joined the AHL Manitoba Moose. The winger had collected 11 points in 45 games for Winnipeg before his demotion.
Despite trailing the slumping Stars by just a point in the Central Division, the Jets are hardly a shoo-in for home ice in the playoffs.
The Colorado Avalanche are just four points adrift of Winnipeg with two games in hand; the Minnesota Wild currently occupy a wildcard spot but remain in the mix for a top-three berth.
The Jets triumphed 4-1 against the Rangers on Monday night in their first contest without Perfetti and will conclude an Eastern road trip against the Islanders on Wednesday night.
The team is 5-5 in their last 10 games and is 35-21-1 in their first season under former Stars coach Rick Bowness. Bowness briefly coached the previous iteration of the Jets during the 1988-89 season.
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