Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers expected to return for Game 6

As the Winnipeg Jets look to close out their opening-round series versus the Central Division rival St. Louis Blues, the club will do so with a bolstered lineup as forward Nikolaj Ehlers is expected to return.

Sidelined for the first five games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs plus the final two games of the regular season due to a foot injury, Ehlers participated in morning skate line rushes Friday on the Jets’ second line alongside Cole Perfetti and captain Adam Lowry.

Through 69 regular-season appearances with the Jets this season, Ehlers notched 24 goals and 39 assists to finish third in team scoring with 63 points. In all, it marked the second consecutive season and fourth overall in which the 29-year-old Danish-born forward has reached the 60-point plateau.

Originally chosen ninth overall by Winnipeg in the 2014 NHL Draft, Ehlers has since spent 10 seasons with the Jets in which he has amassed 225 goals and 295 assists for 520 points over 674 career contests. In his sophomore season, Ehlers reached a career-high 64 points counting 25 goals and 39 assists coming in 82 games. Ehlers has also added four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 37 postseason appearances.

Per PuckPedia, Ehlers is in the final season of a seven-year pact that carries a $6-million cap hit. Should he reach unrestricted free agency this offseason, the talented forward is expected to be one of the most pursued players, coming in at No. 7 on Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli’s rankings of the top available pending unrestricted free agents.

Entering Game 6 against the Blues on Friday, the Jets are in search of their second-straight victory following a 5-3 decision in Game 5. A Winnipeg win would see the club ready for the Colorado Avalanche or Dallas Stars in the second round, while a Blues win on Friday would set the stage for a winner-takes-all Game 7 in Winnipeg on Sunday.