In a significant blow to the Winnipeg Jets’ playoff hopes, head coach Rick Bowness announced that star defenseman Josh Morrissey will miss the remainder of the series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Currently down 2-1 in the series after a nail-biting double-overtime loss in Game 3, the Jets will have to regroup and find a way to cope without their top-scoring blue-liner.
Morrissey, a 28-year-old defenseman, has spent his entire career with the Jets after being selected 13th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. This season, he enjoyed a career year, tallying 16 goals and 60 assists for a total of 76 points in 78 regular-season games. This impressive performance shattered his previous career-high of 37 points set last season. During the first three games of the playoff series against Vegas, Morrissey notched one assist and maintained a +1 plus/minus rating.
The loss of Morrissey will be a tough hurdle to overcome for the Jets, who entered the series as underdogs against the Western Conference-leading Golden Knights. As the series progresses, Winnipeg’s depth on the blue line will be tested, requiring other defensemen to step up and fill the void left by Morrissey’s absence.
Jets lose Josh Morrissey
