The Winnipeg Jets got bad injury news prior to the start of the new season with Ville Heinola breaking his ankle in the final preseason game. Heinola had the ability to be a key piece to the Jets blueline due to his mobility and offensive instincts. The Jets will miss him even thought he has not been a regular on the blueline for the big club.
The Jets and their defence has been a story one for a few seasons now and this will once again put the spotlight on the blueline. While the Jets do have some younger players on defence, they have a veteran group that costs a lot of money and for the most part is not very good at all. They were fine at one point in their careers, but with the Jets they are simply too old and overpaid for what the Jets need from them.
Heinola seemed to finally have luck on his side when it came to the numbers game and needing a coach to vouch for him when he broke his ankle. It was the most unfortunate injury to a player who needed a break to break into the roster and had created it for himself before his ankle broke. Hopefully his recovery is straightforward and he is back up to game speed quickly. Nevertheless, this is a blow for a player who had the opportunity to break onto the big club this season and possibly end up making a difference.
