Niederreiter left Thursday’s game after playing 13:12 TOI after sustaining what is believed to be an ankle injury. Niederreiter got tangled up with Blackhawks’ forward Tanner Kero and will miss at least Saturday’s game vs. Columbus. The Wild also lost Marcus Foligno and Charlie Coyle last night, so they’re banged up heading into Saturday.
Hellebuyck made 37 stops on 39 shots in the Jets’ win in Edmonton on Monday. It was an excellent start for Hellebuyck, who has stopped 46 of 50 shots (.920 SV%) through one start and one relief appearance this season. He has looked a lot better than Steve Mason, so he will start tonight in Vancouver. The Canucks are 1-0-1 through their first two contests.
Hellebuyck stopped nine of 11 shots he faced after replacing Steve Mason in the Jets’ opening night loss to the Maple Leafs. It’s been an inauspicious start to Mason’s Jets career, so Hellebuyck will see his first start of the season tonight in Edmonton. It’s a rough matchup and the 24-year-old had an ugly 3.23 GAA and .896 SV% in 25 road appearances last season.
Connor, who was the Jets No.17 overall pick in 2015, was expected to crack the opening night roster but fell down the depth chart throughout the preseason. Connor has electrifying potential thanks to his exceptional speed, but the organization obviously feels he needs a little more seasoning in the AHL--plus he doesn't need to clear waivers. The 20-year-old winger had 25 goals and 19 assists (44 points) in 52 AHL games a season ago.
Vilardi was limited to just 49 games this season, but posted an impressive 61 points (29G / 32A) for the Windsor Spitfires. He added six points in seven playoff games before they were eliminated by the London Knights, but was one of their best players during their Memorial Cup run, solidifying himself as a potential top 5 pick. He is a big bodied centre who excels below the dots with his impressive puck possession and on-ice vision.
