Jets’ Dylan Samberg out 6-8 weeks with wrist injury
The Winnipeg Jets will have a hole to fill in their opening night roster, as defenseman Dylan Samberg will be out for 6-8 weeks, according to head coach Scott Arniel.
The 26-year-old was injured in what Arniel called a “freak accident” during Saturday night’s preseason game against the Calgary Flames, after sustaining a hit from Ryan Lomberg, which seemed to push his left arm into a stanchion.
On Monday, Arniel revealed Samberg had broken his wrist on the play.
Here’s a replay of the hit that knocked Dylan Samberg out of last night’s #NHLJets game.
Scott Arniel didn’t have an update after the game and said that they’ll know more in a day or two. pic.twitter.com/xYMm7Ej8Hv
Samberg’s absence will leave a significant gap to fill for the Jets, as he played considerable playing time against other teams’ best forwards and carved out a key role on the top penalty killing unit, while often playing alongside Neal Pionk on the blueline.
Last season, his shutdown role through 60 regular-season games helped the Jets to the top of the Central Division and Western Conference. In addition to his stingy play, he also scored a career-high six goals and 20 points, while skating over 21 minutes a game, a significant uptick from his previous years in the league.
His standout campaign led the Jets to sign him to a three-year contract extension this summer with an average annual value of $5.75 million per season. However, they will now be without the six-foot-four, 216-pound defenseman.
With Samberg out, Arniel will likely have to turn to throw more minutes to Logan Stanley, Haydn Fleury or Ville Heinola for the first portion of the season, before reintegrating the Minnesota native in mid-November.
Meanwhile, in other Jets news, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck left Monday’s practice “not feeling right,” according to Arniel, and his status remains unclear going into Tuesday’s penultimate preseason game against the Minnesota Wild.
The Jets will wrap up the 2025 NHL preseason with games against the Wild and Flames, before looking ahead to their regular season opening night against the Dallas Stars on Oct. 9.