Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers placed in COVID protocol

The last time the Winnipeg Jets were on the ice, they were run out of the building by the Colorado Avalanche in a 7-1 massacre. Connor Hellebuyck needed to make 35 saves to even keep it that close, while Andrew Copp, Mark Scheifele, and Nikolaj Ehlers all logged more than 20 minutes for the Jets injury-riddled lineup. Now, the latter of those three will be unavailable for the team moving forward as Ehlers has entered the COVID protocol.

He joins Jansen Harkins, Dylan DeMelo, and Arvid Holm in the protocol for the Jets, who are scheduled to return to action Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. If Ehlers has tested positive, he’ll miss at least that game as he isolates away from his teammates.

Losing one of their top-line players at a point like this is obviously a big blow for the Jets, who were already using several inexperienced options like Cole Perfetti and Kristian Reichel. With Blake Wheeler and Paul Stastny both out, a forward group that was once considered among the deepest in the league now has more than a few band-aids.

The Jets meanwhile are falling further and further behind in the Central Division, now sitting at 16-12-5 on the year and seven points behind the Minnesota Wild. They’ve gone 3-2 since Dave Lowry took over the coaching responsibilities following Paul Maurice’s resignation.