Now the Forwards Are Falling Too

Josh Morrissey is week-to-week with an upper-body injury, and Vladislav Namestnikov joined the list Friday in the same category. Two different positions, same basic problem: the Jets keep losing bodies they don't have spares for.

The Morrissey situation has already reshuffled the blue line in ways the front office didn't anticipate. Mario Ferraro came to Winnipeg on a three-year deal to provide depth behind an established top pair. With Morrissey out, he's logging starter minutes — which is fine, until you ask what's behind him. The answer, per the depth chart, is a significant drop to the next option. That's not a knock on Ferraro; it's just not what the role was designed to be.

Namestnikov's absence adds a different wrinkle. The forward group was already thin at left wing behind Kyle Connor — Noah Gregor is the next man up there, and the production gap between Connor and everyone else at that position is steep. Losing a forward who can move around the lineup removes one of the few pieces of flexibility the coaching staff had to work with.

The Jets are 40-53 and eliminated, so none of this changes the standings. But it does tell you something about where this roster actually is heading into the offseason: the injuries keep finding the thin spots, every time.