The Winnipeg Jets will have some notable absences from the lineup when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday evening. Most notable among them, breakout star Josh Morrissey is expected to miss the contest due to a lower-body injury. Jets head coach Rick Bowness has tagged the 27-year-old defenseman with a "day-to-day" label.
Morrissey was forced out of Saturday's game against the Florida Panthers with a non-contact injury, possibly a hip issue. While he will sit on Sunday, Morrissey hopes to play versus the Hurricanes on Tuesday, when the Jets are scheduled to call it wraps on their current Southeastern road trip.
The 13th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, Morrissey has trampled over his previous career-high in points, recording 67 in 66 games this year. Any extended absence would be a tough blow for Winnipeg, though it appears the organization might have dodged calamity on that front.
While Morrissey should be able to return to action in the near future barring setback, the news is less positive for Pierre-Luc Dubois, who Bowness doesn’t expect back for another two games at the least. Dubois has missed five of the last six games with two different injuries and is currently listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old was on pace for career bests in goals and points prior to the injury, recording 24 goals and 55 points in 61 games.
In a final Winnipeg injury note, Adam Lowry is “feeling better” after leaving last night’s game late in the third period with an undisclosed injury. He should be considered a game-time decision for Sunday's matchup with the Lightning. With 27 points in 66 games, Lowry is Winnipeg’s highest-scoring bottom-six forward and a crucial piece in the lineup at the third-line center position.
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