Jets got the injury update nobody wanted to hear from Scott Arniel

Jan 26, 2026 (1:11 PM)

Photo credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

Scott Arniel just ruled out Neal Pionk, Colin Miller and Haydn Fleury until the Olympic break, and the Winnipeg Jets blue line is hurting.

That's the kind of update that changes your next month, not your next practice.

Arniel's message was simple: he "doesn't see" any of them returning before the pause.

Fleury's situation still feels the scariest, after that violent Jan. 6 crash into the end boards.

Pionk and Miller are more of the slow-burn pain, the kind that drags a roster down one hard minute at a time.

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Pionk's absence hits hardest because he drives touches, exits, and the second wave on the man advantage.

Before getting shut down, he had 2-6-8 in 40 games.

The Jets are sitting 20-24-7, and that's not a spot where you can just "get by" with three NHL defensemen missing.

Jets fans can feel the stress, because every game turns into a grind when your third pair turns into your second pair.

Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo can eat minutes, but nobody wants them cooked by Game 55.

The real issue is pace, clean breakouts disappear, and your forwards start cheating for offense.

That's when odd-man rushes show up and the goalie gets left alone between the pipes.

Colin Miller has 0-1-1 in 14 games, but his right-shot depth mattered, especially when matchups got weird.

Haydn Fleury has no points in 17 games, and losing him removes a safety valve on chaotic nights.

If Elias Salomonsson sticks, remember the bet: he's 21, drafted in 2022 (Round 2) by the Winnipeg Jets.

The Olympic break runs after Feb. 5, and the schedule resumes Feb. 25, so Arniel basically hinted this is a February problem.

Now it's about stealing points until the blue line gets bodies back.

Previously on HockeyLatest

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JANVIER 26\|184 ANSWERS Jets got the injury update nobody wanted to hear from Scott Arniel Should Scott Arniel push Kevin Cheveldayoff to add a defenseman before the Olympic break?
Yes	111	60.3 %
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