Wounded Jets Return to Battle Down Seven Men

The Winnipeg Jets will begin their post-Christmas schedule on Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre against division rival - and nearest geographical rival - the Minnesota Wild. Winnipeg will suit up in similar fashion to the way it entered the Christmas break: down several bodies - seven to be exact. Currently without Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler, Cole Perfetti, Mason Appleton and Saku Maenalanen up front, the Jets are also missing Nate Schmidt and Logan Stanley on the back-end, as the seven players continue to recover from injuries sustained over the past couple months of play. Perfetti's injury is rather new and will see him miss approximately 7-10 days, while Maenalanen is expected to return in roughly a week's time. Ehlers is expected to be back within two weeks. The others will need significantly more time in their recovery. "I'd say the closest guy we have to coming back is Saku, and he's probably a week," head coach Rick Bowness said Tuesday morning. "Everyone else is two-plus." Although no bodies will be returning for Winnipeg in the divisional contest, the team did manage to get a few days off with friends and family. That rest may have worked wonders, as the Jets had come off a five-game-in-seven-day stretch prior to the break, while also playing nine games in 15 days - a difficult task for a team comprised of half of its typical AHL roster. Currently boasting a 21-12-1 record, Winnipeg will enter Tuesday's game on a minor two-game slide after losing back-to-back contests in Boston and Washington prior to Christmas. Tuesday's matchup is the first of two-straight at home, as the Vancouver Canucks will travel to Winnipeg for a Thursday evening test, before the Jets take on two more Canadian rivals in Edmonton and Calgary as the week continues. Minnesota will be without Marcus Foligno (who was placed on the team's injured reserve) on Tuesday, while Mason Shaw will serve a suspension. Defenceman Ville Heinola will be a scratch for the Jets, while Kyle Capobianco will draw in alongside Dylan Samberg in the bottom pair. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM central time from Canada Life Centre.