The Winnipeg Jets have re-acquired Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche.
The Jets signed the Finnish goaltender to a one-year contract this offseason, but fellow offseason signee Eric Comrie won the battle to be Connor Hellebuyck’s backup after preseason. The Jets placed Kahkonen on waivers on Oct. 11 with the intention of assigning him to the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Manitoba Moose to have him act as mentor to sophomore Thomas Milic and an insurance policy in case of injury, but the Avalanche claimed him to bolster a shaky crease featuring Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen.
Kahkonen made one start for the Avalanche, allowing four goals on 20 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 30. He also played two games for the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, going 0-0-2 with a 2.57 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.
As the team that lost him initially, the Jets are allowed to assign him directly to the AHL without putting him on waivers again and have done just that. The veteran of 140 NHL games over six seasons will bolster a Moose crease that currently features the league’s youngest tandem in Milic (21 years old) and Domenic DiVincentiis (20.) The Moose are off to a bumbling 3-7-0-0 start to sit last in the Central Division and play next on Wednesday, Nov. 13 in Milwaukee against the Admirals.