Winnipeg Jets Star Set for Long-Awaited Season Debut vs. Kings After Offseason Surgery

The Winnipeg Jets are set to be adding an important leader back into the lineup as they set out on a crucial six-game road trip.

Captain Adam Lowry is on track to make his season debut when the Jets face the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night, head coach Scott Arniel said Monday.

Lowry is recovering from off-season hip surgery and skated with the team on Monday. Arniel said he considered adding Lowry to the lineup Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but a tight schedule with limited practice time set his return back.

Lowry, age 32, is entering his 12th season in the NHL, all with Winnipeg. He scored a career-high 16 goals last season and had 34 points as the Jets won the Presidents' Trophy, and was a valuable leader for his team.

The veteran's return comes at a great time as Morgan Barron, who was playing a third-line center role in Lowry's absence, is now out week to week with an undisclosed injury that he sustained late in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Penguins.

The Jets will be on the road for the next two weeks with stops in Los Angeles, San Jose, Anaheim, Vancouver, Seattle, and Calgary, so Lowry's return could not have come at a better time.