Although DeMelo played only 2:33 of ice time in that game, the Jets defeated the Stars 8-3 in Dallas on Thursday night. According to the most recent injury report, there’s nothing on him.
DeMelo is “Likely going to be 4-6 weeks out,” according to Grewal, who said he can’t see much but thinks the injury is a “high ankle sprain or MCL injury.”
It is a diagnosis made remotely. Grewal openly admits to using “pattern recognition” rather than any insider knowledge from the Jets organization. DeMelo’s status has not been announced by Winnipeg.
Consider the timeline to be a estimate until the crew speaks. But fans of a team on a roll in November are right to pay attention to the type of estimate that tends to be close from someone with a medical background.
What would be the extent of DeMelo’s loss to Winnipeg?
Additionally, he offers a physical advantage. A defense corps cannot afford to lose his 24 penalty minutes, and a 33-year-old veteran is not easily replaced by a player who moves up from the bottom pair.
The résumé merits remembering. The San Jose Sharks selected DeMelo as the 179th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. He has since appeared in 738 regular-season games and scored 190 points, as well to 41 playoff games.
For a player who was virtually forgotten on draft day, that’s a lengthy career. This also implies that the Jets would be losing a seasoned player who has witnessed nearly every circumstance that the league can offer a defenseman.
The crucial question is whether Winnipeg will confirm the injury and give a timeline. More will be revealed by a roster move to cover the blue line or an update on his status than by any external diagnosis.
