The Manitoba Moose just wrapped up their All-Star break, while their NHL club, the Winnipeg Jets, are on their Olympic break.

Manitoba currently sits third in the AHL Central Division with three games in hand over the Texas Stars, a team trailing Manitoba by just one point. Manitoba has amassed a 23-17-3-0 record at this point of the season, and will look to finish its remaining 29 games strong.

Is the Lack of Prospect Scoring Concerning?

This isn’t something that overly surprised me. The Moose got far deeper this season, and they weren’t known for scoring a lot of goals before the arrival of the veterans like Phil Di Giuseppe, Mason Shaw, Walker Duehr, and David Gustafsson.

Specifically, Nikita Chibrikov is the one case that I’m circling at this point of the season. He’s a great young forward with a lot of upside to his game, but he’s found himself in a scoring drought. He’s got just six points (2g, 4A) in 28 AHL games, and he was held scoreless in his eight NHL appearances this season.

Chibrikov hasn’t looked quite the same since returning from his injury sustained at the end of the 2024-25 AHL season, and not having found much chemistry has contributed to that. He’s also not the only Jets prospect that’s in a scoring rut, and Colby Barlow, an AHL rookie, has just eight points (3G, 5A) in 39 games this season.

Manitoba has played in 17 one-goal games, and they’ve amassed an 11-3-3-0 win-loss record in that time. A winning record is positive, but they’ve run into issues when their opponent has a lead after the first or second period. If Manitoba has the lead, their 23-2-1-0 win-loss record shows their biggest asset is gaining the initial lead.

If the Jets’ prospects had contributed just a little bit more to the team’s secondary scoring, they likely would have been in fewer one-goal games.

It goes without saying that the Jets’ prospects are getting their looks and not able to capitalize, but the execution remains a big issue right now, and the lack of prospect scoring has a chunk of the fanbase worried.

Has a 1A/1B Scenario Worked in Net for Manitoba?

Thomas Milic and Domenic DiVincentiis have been workhorses in net for the Manitoba Moose, and there’s been a handful of nights I can remember in the past two seasons covering the team where the ice is tilted, but the score remains the same because of their goaltending.

Saying it bluntly, the 1A/1B scenario has been a massive factor in the Moose’s success, and that’s not a bad thing.

Thomas Milic represented the Moose at the AHL All-Star Classic. He’s posted a respectable 2.36 goals-against average (GAA) and a .909 save percentage (SV%), alongside a 11-6-2 win-loss record across 20 games played.

Manitoba’s also benefited from DiVincentiis’ confidence skyrocketing this year after multiple big games in net, and two huge shutouts this year. DiVincentiis has seen more time in the crease, posting a 2.72 GAA and a .906 SV%, alongside a 10-11-1 win-loss record in 23 games played.

DiVincentiis is the guy that the Moose has relied upon just a little bit more, but Milic has seen his fair share of tough games as well this year.

This is one of those scenarios that a young team like Manitoba has relied upon this year, and something they can learn from when it comes to either future goaltenders or depth pieces they add in the offseason.

This 1A/1B scenario works because both goalies are confident and are playing like AHL starters clawing for an NHL backup role, and to Manitoba’s credit, it’s kept them in a ton of games.

Come playoff time, Manitoba will ride the hot hand, and between the two goaltenders, it’s going to be a close race for the time being.

Who Might Be Called Up Next?

This is a neat situation for Manitoba to be in, and it’s because Manitoba is playing well, and the Jets are having an outlier year.

Throughout the season, Danny Zhilkin, Elias Salomonsson, Isaak Phillips, Domenic DiVincentiis, and Thomas Milic have been recalled. Nikita Chibrikov, Brad Lambert, and Parker Ford started the season with the Jets, and it makes you wonder if someone in that group goes back up or if the Jets look at someone else.

While it’s entirely likely that Manitoba is without one of Salomonsson or Phillips once the NHL returns from the Olympic roster freeze, Manitoba could also find themselves without other players if the Jets make changes to their roster.

The trade deadline is looming, and it might affect both teams once the NHL trade deadline window closes.

However, part of me wonders if a player like Brayden Yager, or a veteran player I mentioned earlier, based on production, finds their way to the Jets. Although it wouldn’t surprise me if the decision is based on who’s been previously called up or not.

This is purely a part of the season for the Moose where anyone on an NHL contract could find their way to the NHL tomorrow, and that’s not a bad thing.

The team has performed to a level that warrants call-ups, even if they’re veteran players.

Manitoba, with its current roster construction, should expect to have multiple bodies be recalled to the Jets, given Winnipeg is shaping up to be a seller at the NHL trade deadline.

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