Winnipeg Jets’ forward Nikolaj Ehlers will make his 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff debut in Friday’s Game 6 versus the St. Louis Blues, as per the Jets’ social media.
The Danish forward will take his regular second-line left-wing spot alongside Adam Lowry Cole Perfetti and also feature on the first power-play unit as the Jets attempt to clinch the first-round series in St. Louis tonight. His return is a major injection of skill for Winnipeg, who will be without Mark Scheifele after he was knocked out by a borderline Brayden Schenn hit in Game 5 and didn’t travel with the team to St. Louis.
Ehlers missed the final two games of the regular season and the first five games of the playoffs after re-aggravating a lower-body injury in the second period of April 12’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He and a linesman got tied up at the blue line and Ehlers could not put any weight on his leg after the collision.
That game was Ehlers’ second back from the injury he initially suffered in the 4-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on April 3. He took an absolute beating in that contest as in the first period, he blocked a hard Nicolas Hague shot with his leg that hobbled him significantly and in the third period, took some friendly fire to the same leg in the form of a Perfetti shot during a power play. The latter shot forced his exit.
In 69 games this season, Ehlers scored 24 goals and added 39 assists for 63 points to finish third on the team.