A couple of important players will not on Saturday for one of the Central Division’s top teams.
The Winnipeg Jets announced that defenseman Brenden Dillon will not play against the Carolina Hurricanes due to an illness, while forward Gabriel Vilardi will miss the game due to an upper-body injury.
Cole Perfetti is also listed as a healthy scratch.
Dillon has already missed some time this season, as he was suspended three games last month after an illegal check to the head on Pittsburgh Penguins forward Noel Acciari. However, this will be the first time that the 33-year-old has had to sit out a game due to an ailment.
In 55 games, Dillon has scored seven goals and nine assists. In 870 career games, the New Westminster, British Columbia native has scored 36 goals and 156 assists, registering 12 points in 80 playoff games.
Vilardi left Thursday’s loss to the Dallas Stars early with an upper-body injury.
The Kingston native has had a rough 2023-24 campaign. In just the third game of the season, the 24-year-old was injured after an awkward collision with Los Angeles Kings forward Blake Lizotte, an incident that Vllardi later deemed to be “a stupid play.” He ended up missing the next 18 games with a sprained MCL.
Vilardi returned to the lineup in late November, but missed two more games with a lower-body injury in January. It has hindered what could end up being the best season of his five-year NHL career. Vilardi has notched 16 goals and 14 assists in 38 games this season, just 11 points from equaling his career-high 41 points that he set last season with the Kings.
In 190 NHL games, Vilardi has put up 57 goals and 51 assists, scoring four points during seven postseason appearances with L.A.
The Jets (37-16-5) come into Saturday’s action battling for the best record in the Central. They are tied for second in the division with the Colorado Avalanche, bot two points back of the first-place Stars.
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