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![\"JOHN](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/4593818_web1_260920_jets_camp_20.JPG\")
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JOHN WOODS \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets goaltenders Domenic DiVincentiis (50) and Stuart Skinner (74) talk to a coach during training camp on Sept. 20.<\/p>\n
With a maximum of 23 spots available, the only things left to determine are whether the Jets are interested in claiming a more experienced goalie to serve as the backup to Stuart Skinner and if centre Brayden Yager will break camp with the big club.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with the goaltending decision, as it has been an obvious storyline to monitor since Connor Hellebuyck was suspended for not showing up for training camp.<\/p>\n
Dom DiVincentiis had a strong showing in his game against the Edmonton Oilers, making 21 saves in the 2-1 overtime loss.<\/p>\n
But was his training camp \u2013 coupled by what he showed during the Calder Cup playoffs with the Manitoba Moose last spring \u2013 enough to give him the No. 2 spot on the depth chart for the time being?<\/p>\n
That won\u2019t likely be clear until Monday afternoon, when waiver claims will be made public.<\/p>\n
There were some interesting names on the waiver wire on the weekend, but it was Sunday\u2019s list that probably provided the greatest appeal.<\/p>\n
There are three goalies that could make sense for the Jets, whether they\u2019re looking for a short-term boost or more of a longer-range solution.<\/p>\n
The Anaheim Ducks placed former Jets netminder Laurent Brossoit on waivers on Sunday, choosing instead to stick with Ville Husso as the backup to Lukas Dostal.<\/p>\n
Brossoit has worked his way back from several injury-plagued seasons and wants to get back to the form that had him between the pipes for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, recording five playoff wins during the Stanley Cup championship campaign.<\/p>\n
Brossoit, 33, was limited to 25 games last season (including two for the San Jose Barracuda during the Calder Cup playoffs), but he\u2019s familiar with the organization and has the type of resume that would offer plenty of appeal.<\/p>\n
Another goalie to keep an eye on is Clay Stevenson, a 27-year-old who has only five NHL games with the Washington Capitals on his resume but has posted strong numbers in the AHL with the Hershey Bears.<\/p>\n
The other wild card in this discussion is New York Rangers goalie Dylan Garand, who made his NHL debut against the Jets last season, making 35 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss.<\/p>\n
Garand, 24, is a fourth round pick from the Rangers who played for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League and has made between 32 and 39 appearances in each of the past four seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.<\/p>\n
Based on finishing 26th overall last season, the Jets have high priority if they want to put in a claim for a goalie or another position player.<\/p>\n
The goalie decision should be pretty straightforward, as it will either be DiVincentiis staying in his current role or the Jets sending him directly to the Moose if a waiver claim is made, since the seventh round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft is exempt from waivers.<\/p>\n
One of the decisions left on the position player side revolves around whether the Jets are going to keep eight defencemen and 13 forwards or 14 forwards and seven blue-liners.<\/p>\n
Unless there is a player that will join defencemen Elias Salomonsson (shoulder) and Garrett Brown (lower body) and forward Walker Duehr (lower body) on injured reserve, the Jets need to assign at least one player to the Moose.<\/p>\n
The path of least resistance would be to assign Brayden Yager to the AHL, though that decision could also be more related to the benefits of the 2023 first-rounder getting first-line minutes and enhanced puck touches on the top player play unit with the Moose.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a faction of fans that don\u2019t agree with that line of thinking and will surely voice their displeasure if that\u2019s the decision the Jets ultimately make.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to remember that the opening-day roster is just that, it\u2019s nothing close to permanent \u2013 even if a lot of thought is put into finalizing it.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JOHN WOODS \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets\u2019 Alex Iafallo (9) and Brayden Yager (29) celebrate Iafallo\u2019s goal against the Edmonton Oilers during first period NHL action in Winnipeg on Sept. 22. <\/p>\n Yes, Yager has earned praise for the work he put in over the summer and you can see the growth in his overall game.<\/p>\n He\u2019s clearly knocking on the door to earning full-time duty.<\/p>\n However, a demotion for Yager isn\u2019t a referendum on his current worth, it would be a further investment in his future.<\/p>\n Although we live in a society that craves immediate results, Yager\u2019s long-term development could be assisted by playing an enhanced role with the Moose in what is just his second pro season.<\/p>\n That Yager put himself in position to join the likes of Viggo Bjorck, Isaak Rosen and Brad Lambert on that opening-day roster is a testament to the strides he\u2019s already taken.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not as simple as the Jets being loyal to veterans who clearly are coming off subpar seasons.<\/p>\n Several of those veterans did their part to stave off the competition, but that doesn\u2019t mean their spots are guaranteed for 82 games either.<\/p>\n The Jets have reached a point where they\u2019re looking for an influx of speed and youth and that\u2019s still taking place, regardless of what happens with Yager.<\/p>\n With Saturday\u2019s news that forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Noah Gregor and Parker Ford and defenceman Isaak Phillips had cleared waivers, that means the Jets organizational depth didn\u2019t take a hit.<\/p>\n Will the same happen for Zhilkin and Thrun?<\/p>\n If they clear, Zhilkin (chosen by the Jets in the third round in the 2022 NHL Draft) should also be ready to be used in prime minutes at even strength and on special teams.<\/p>\n The same can be said for Thrun, who is set to run the top power play and likely be used on the top pairing after helping the Toronto Marlies capture the Calder Cup last June.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Sunday\u2019s roster moves also represent a vote of confidence for defenceman Tyrel Bauer.<\/p>\n A sixth round pick of the Jets in 2020, Bauer is inching closer to making his NHL debut.<\/p>\n The toughness he would bring to the Jets is obvious, though Bauer continues to work at trying to prove that the rest of his game is ready to make the next step.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to come out and the competitive nature in you is to put everything you\u2019ve got on the table and really show the improvements or where you want to be at,\u201d Bauer said on Friday morning before the Jets closed out the exhibition schedule against the Colorado Avalanche.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/kenwiebe<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Ken Wiebe Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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