Winnipeg Jets defenseman to miss significant time with fractured ankle

Heinola, 22, suffered the injury late in the first period of Thursday’s preseason game against the Ottawa Senators when he collided into the boards with Sens defenseman Erik Brannstrom. Heinola was in significant discomfort getting to the bench after the hit. He proceeded to head to the dressing room and would not return for the rest of the game, finishing the night with a penalty and a hit in 3:22 of ice time as the Jets lost 3-0 to Ottawa.

With Heinola’s current timeline, he’ll be out until the start of December at the earliest and his rehab may even carry into the new year. Bowness also mentioned that surgery is a possibility, although there was no mention as to how that would affect his timeline for return. He will also be sent home to Finland to be with his family, returning to Winnipeg when he is closer to rejoining the lineup.

It’s a big blow for Heinola, as he was having an excellent training camp and was slated to get a full-time roster spot, something he’s struggled to do so far in his career. He only played 10 games with the Jets last season, with one assist in that span.

Heinola spent most of the season in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose, where he had four goals, 33 assists and 37 points in 48 regular-season games, as well as one assist in four playoff games as the Moose were eliminated in the division semifinals by the Milwaukee Admirals.

In four preseason games, he had one goal.

Heinola was a 20th overall selection for the Jets in the 2019 NHL Draft and is entering his fifth professional season with the team. He’s heading into the final year of his three-year entry-level contract that slid for two seasons and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.