The Manitoba Moose just wrapped up their All-Star break, while their NHL club, the Winnipeg Jets, are on their Olympic break.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Is the Lack of Prospect Scoring Concerning?<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t something that overly surprised me. The Moose got far deeper this season, and they weren\u2019t known for scoring a lot of goals before the arrival of the veterans like Phil Di Giuseppe, Mason Shaw, Walker Duehr, and David Gustafsson.<\/p>\n
Specifically, Nikita Chibrikov is the one case that I\u2019m circling at this point of the season. He\u2019s a great young forward with a lot of upside to his game, but he\u2019s found himself in a scoring drought. He\u2019s got just six points (2g, 4A) in 28 AHL games, and he was held scoreless in his eight NHL appearances this season.<\/p>\n
Chibrikov hasn\u2019t 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\u2019s also not the only Jets prospect that\u2019s in a scoring rut, and Colby Barlow, an AHL rookie, has just eight points (3G, 5A) in 39 games this season.<\/p>\n
Manitoba has played in 17 one-goal games, and they\u2019ve amassed an 11-3-3-0 win-loss record in that time. A winning record is positive, but they\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n
If the Jets\u2019 prospects had contributed just a little bit more to the team\u2019s secondary scoring, they likely would have been in fewer one-goal games.<\/p>\n
It goes without saying that the Jets\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
Has a 1A\/1B Scenario Worked in Net for Manitoba?<\/p>\n
Thomas Milic and Domenic DiVincentiis have been workhorses in net for the Manitoba Moose, and there\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Saying it bluntly, the 1A\/1B scenario has been a massive factor in the Moose\u2019s success, and that\u2019s not a bad thing.<\/p>\n
Thomas Milic represented the Moose at the AHL All-Star Classic. He\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Manitoba\u2019s also benefited from DiVincentiis\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s credit, it\u2019s kept them in a ton of games.<\/p>\n
Come playoff time, Manitoba will ride the hot hand, and between the two goaltenders, it\u2019s going to be a close race for the time being.<\/p>\n
Who Might Be Called Up Next?<\/p>\n
This is a neat situation for Manitoba to be in, and it\u2019s because Manitoba is playing well, and the Jets are having an outlier year.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
The trade deadline is looming, and it might affect both teams once the NHL trade deadline window closes.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t surprise me if the decision is based on who\u2019s been previously called up or not.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s not a bad thing.<\/p>\n
The team has performed to a level that warrants call-ups, even if they\u2019re veteran players. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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