Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg will be sidelined for up to two months with a broken wrist, dealing a tough blow to Winnipeg’s defensive corps just before the season starts.
Head coach Scott Arniel confirmed the injury happened during Saturday’s preseason game against Calgary when Flames forward Ryan Lomberg caught Samberg with what Arniel called a “freak accident” hit in the second period.
The timing couldn’t be worse for the 24-year-old defenseman, who just signed a massive new deal with the Jets this summer – a three-year contract worth $17.25 million.
Samberg had really come into his own last season. He put up career-best numbers across the board, including six goals and 20 points in 60 games. But it’s his defensive work that really stood out.
He led the team with an impressive +34 rating and topped all Jets players in blocked shots (120) and takeaways (33). Those numbers earned him more ice time – about 21 minutes per game – and a key spot on Winnipeg’s penalty kill unit.
Since breaking into the NHL in 2022, no Jets defender has been better at disrupting opposing teams. Samberg leads the team in both blocked shots and takeaways per game over that span.
Now the Jets need to fill a pretty big hole in their lineup. Logan Stanley, who didn’t see much action last year, will likely get more playing time. Veteran Haydn Fleury could also step up after appearing in just 39 games last season.
But neither player brings quite what Samberg does to the ice.
The Jets will probably lean heavily on their experienced defenders – Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, and Luke Schenn – until Samberg can return, which looks to be sometime in mid-November.
It’s a rough start for one of Winnipeg’s highest-paid defensemen. Only Pionk ($7 million) and Morrissey ($6.25 million) make more on the Jets’ blue line.
