Defenceman Dmitry Kulikov has removed his yellow no-contact jersey and is ready to return to the Winnipeg Jets lineup for the first time since November.
Kulikov missed the team’s last 17 games with an upper-body injury after it appeared he injured his shoulder in a game against the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 29.
“I felt good,” Kulikov told reporters. “Felt like I was in good shape in the last few days, even though I skated in the yellow.
The 29-year-old Kulikov scored one goal with three assists in 25 games this season.
He is well ahead of schedule in his recovery. The original timeline for his injury put him out until the all-star break, but he could even be in the lineup on Wednesday, when the Jets tangle with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But with the Jets facing games on back-to-back days, the club could hold him out until Thursday.
“Possibly an option tomorrow,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. “We’ll get him through his day here today, and see where he’s at.”
“I’m not sure I’m putting him in the back-to-back off that injury, but he may be a player for us in one of the next two.”
When Kulikov returns, one of either Anthony Bitetto or Sami Niku will likely come out of the lineup.
Before he was injured, Kulikov was playing on a pairing with Neal Pionk. At the time when Kulikov went down, Maurice said he was “playing the best hockey he’s played for us”.
“I thought I was playing good,” Kulikov said. “We had good chemistry going with Neal there. Obviously anytime you get injured, it’s unfortunate.”
“But yeah, for me, I felt like it was bad timing.”
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