With the 2024-25 regular season only days away, the Winnipeg Jets have reduced their training camp roster by seven more names.
The team announced Thursday that three players — goalie Thomas Milic and defencemen Tyrel Bauer and Dmitry Kuzmin — have been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
Four others are also slated to join the Moose, but must clear waivers first: defenceman Simon Lundmark and forwards Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Mason Shaw and Dominic Toninato.
Of the seven, Toninato (99 games) and Jonsson-Fjallby (76 games) have spent the most time with the Jets, while Shaw has 82 games of NHL experience, all with the Minnesota Wild.
Jets Head Coach Scott Arniel says the conversations with players following these roster decisions are never easy, especially with Toninato and Jonsson-Fjallby. “They’re popular guys, the young guys are different. They’re just kind of part of the process oof becoming veterans. The older guys who have to go through waivers, they’ve got family and stuff – it’s a hard couple of days for them. But they also know it’s part of the business.”
Thursday’s player assignments leave the Jets with 29 names still on the training camp roster. That group includes injured defensemen Logan Stanley and Ville Heinola. Forwards David Gustafsson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan did not skate in Thursday’s practice after getting hurt in the 5-2 win over Calgary the night before.
Gustafsson left Wednesday’s game in the second period with a lower body injury that Arniel says is of the “day to day” variety.
The Jets bench boss said Anderson-Dolan was “pretty sore, swollen up” Thursday morning after getting hit with a shot during the game.
The Jets practiced with three goalies, eight defensemen and 14 forwards on Thursday in advance of Friday Night’s preseason finale in Calgary.
All 32 NHL teams must be down to a maximum 23 players on the active roster by 4 p.m. CT Monday, October 7.
Winnipeg opens their 2024-25 regular season schedule on Wednesday, Oct 9 in Edmonton.