Today's Winnipeg Jets recall could change the next few games

Jan 26, 2026 (10:24)

Photo credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images

Isaak Phillips is back with the Winnipeg Jets, and the battered blue line needs answers now.

Winnipeg officially recalled Phillips from the Manitoba Moose on Monday.

This feels like pure necessity, not a victory lap.

The Jets sit at 20-24-7, and the margin for error is gone.

They have been juggling bodies on the back end for weeks, and it keeps bleeding into their five-on-five game.

Phillips, 23, has quietly been a driver in Moose minutes this year.

Through 35 AHL games, he's sitting on 3-12-15 with a plus-5.

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He's a 2020 fifth-round pick, 141st overall, drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks.

That matters, because he's had to earn every inch of his pro runway.

Jets fans are tired of "patchwork" defense nights, and you can feel the impatience building.

The fit is simple: Phillips can move pucks under pressure and keep shifts from turning into survival mode.

If the Jets can exit cleaner, the top-six actually gets to attack instead of circling back for breakouts.

This recall also hints the injury situation still isn't settled, especially with Colin Miller recently landing on injured reserve.

So don't be surprised if Phillips gets right back into the mix on this road swing.

For me, the tell will be usage, not hype.

Give him a partner who can skate, keep his reads tight at the blue line, and let the first pass do the talking.

Winnipeg doesn't need a hero, it needs fewer defensive-zone fires before the next game.

Previously on HockeyLatest

POLL
JANVIER 26\|175 ANSWERS Today's Winnipeg Jets recall could change the next few games Should Isaak Phillips stay with the Winnipeg Jets past this road trip?
Yes	124	70.9 %
No	51	29.1 %
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