Jets’ Gabe Vilardi to return for Game 5 against Blues

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabe Vilardi is set to return to the lineup for Game 5 against the St. Louis Blues, marking his debut in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, reports Connor Hrabchak of Winnipeg Sports Talk.

Sidelined since late March due to an upper-body ailment, Vilardi missed the final 11 games of the regular season and the first four games of the Jets’ opening-round series against the Blues.

Through 71 games with the Jets this season, Vilardi tallied 27 goals and 34 assists to finish fifth in team scoring with 61 points. Vilardi also ranked second in team scoring with 25 points coming on the man advantage.

Originally chosen 11th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2017 NHL Draft, the 25-year-old native of Kingston, Ont., has collected 175 points counting 90 goals and 85 assists over six seasons and 270 career contests with the Kings and Jets. Dubois has also added two goals and six assists for eight points through 12 postseason appearances.

In the 2023 offseason, the Jets acquired Vilardi from the Kings as part of the deal that sent fellow forward Pierre-Luc Dubois to Los Angeles. Per PuckPedia, Vilardi is in the second year of a two-year pact that carries a $3,437,500 cap hit and is eligible to become a restricted free agent this coming offseason.

After an early two-game series lead, the Blues have since tied the opening-round series with the Jets following 7-2 and 5-1 victories in Games 3 and 4, respectively. Of note, Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who on Monday was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s Goaltender of the Year, has shown some early struggles in the postseason where through the first four games he has posted an .817 save percentage with 4.24 goals-against average.

Following Wednesday’s contest, Game 6 between the Jets and Blues comes Friday in St. Louis.