Jets’ Prospect Chibrikov Out Long Term With Lower-Body Injury

Promising Winnipeg Jets prospect Nikita Chibrikov is out long term with a lower-body injury, Manitoba Moose head coach Mark Morrison has confirmed.

The 2021 second rounder suffered the injury in the first period of the Moose’s 5-0 loss to the Toronto Marlies on Sunday while attempting to check Mikko Kokkonen into the end boards. His leg buckled during the check attempt, he could not put any weight on it, and did not return.

Chibrikov played three games in December for the Jets, recording two goals and one assist for three points. He has seven goals and 11 assists for a team-leading 18 points in 30 games with the Moose.

“He’s long term. I don’t know what the doctors have said yet but he’s not short-term. put it that way. He’s going to be long term and it’s a big loss for us,” Morrison said Tuesday.

The Russian product’s injury is not only a huge hit to a last-place Moose squad that has a tough time generating offence (just 73 goals in 34 games and coming off being shut out twice in a row over the weekend) but also to the Jets’ depth down the stretch as he was one of their primary call-up options.