Jets activate defenseman Logan Stanley from IR

The Winnipeg Jets have activated defenseman Logan Stanley from injured reserve Tuesday, according to a team tweet. 

In a corresponding transaction, the Jets reassigned youngster Ville Heinola to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.

Associate coach Scott Arniel told reporters last weekend that Stanley could return on Tuesday, and it turns out he was correct. 

The roster move suggests Stanley will be ready to go when Winnipeg takes on the Nashville Predators in an important divisional matchup Tuesday.

A pair of lower-body injuries have limited Stanley to seven NHL games this season, recording one assist in just 13:34 of ice time per game. 

He’s been on injured reserve with a lower-body injury since Dec. 11 and missed 18 games earlier in the season with a fractured foot.

He’ll have to fight for minutes with another 24-year-old left-shot defenseman: Dylan Samberg. 

Samberg has impressed defensively in his first steady NHL season, is averaging over 15 minutes per game, and has eight points in 37 games.

Heinola, Winnipeg’s 2019 first-round pick, continues to scratch and claw for NHL time in Winnipeg. He’s played in just 10 out of Winnipeg’s 48 games and has been given little opportunity, playing 13:16 per game and recording one assist. 

The 21-year-old returns to Manitoba, where he has 11 points and a staggering +17 rating in just 14 games.