Josh Morrissey skates in non-contact jersey as Winnipeg Jets juggle blue line
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Daniel Lucente
Mar 3, 2026 (2:56 PM)
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Photo credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Josh Morrissey skated with the main group Monday, in a non-contact jersey, and the Winnipeg Jets suddenly have hope on a battered blue line.
Reporter Danielle Bain had Morrissey back in a regular practice mix, but still tagged non-contact. That detail matters more than the smile on the ice.
Murat Ates added that Colin Miller also wore a non-contact jersey. Two right now, none you can pencil in.
The Jets still posted projected lines on X, and it looked familiar up front. Kyle Connor with Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi is the cleanest top-six bet they have.
Scheifele sits at 27-43-70 and Connor at 27-40-67, so the scoring problem is not effort. The problem is what happens behind them when the game breaks open.
Winnipeg is 23-26-10 and living on thin margins, while Chicago rolls in at 23-28-9. The Jets cannot keep trading chances when Connor Hellebuyck needs saves just to reach overtime.
The projected pairs had Logan Stanley with Dylan DeMelo, Dylan Samberg with Elias Salomonsson, and Haydn Fleury with Luke Schenn. That is a lot of survival hockey if Morrissey stays out.
Josh Morrissey tightens the Winnipeg Jets blueprint
Jets fans feel it, this season has been a grind, and any "non-contact" update lands with equal parts hope and side-eye.
Morrissey's cap hit is $6.25M, and he is the one defender on this roster who can end a forecheck with one touch. Without him, exits turn into glass-outs, and shifts get long fast.
Miller's cap hit is $1.5M and his deal expires after 2025-26, so his absence also squeezes deadline flexibility. You cannot "hold extra D" when extra D is already hurt.
Neal Pionk being out takes another puck-mover off the board, and that is why Morrissey skating at all is a headline. Winnipeg needs one stabilizer, not three bandages.
Against the Blackhawks on Tuesday, the clean path is simple, win the middle, keep the slot quiet, and let Hellebuyck see pucks. Winnipeg cannot chase the game with a patchwork right side.
If Morrissey upgrades from non-contact to full gear this week, the whole lineup stops feeling like a dare.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 3|128 ANSWERS Josh Morrissey skates in non-contact jersey as Winnipeg Jets juggle blue line Will Josh Morrissey return to the Winnipeg Jets lineup this week? | ||
| Yes | 64 | 50 % |
| No | 64 | 50 % |
| List of polls | ||