Jets’ Morgan Barron week-to-week with upper-body injury

Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel announced on Thursday that center Morgan Barron is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

According to Arniel, Barron sustained the injury during the Jets’ 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens during a massive hit on Kirby Dach late in the third period. Despite Barron being the one laying out the hit, he comes out of it with the injury, although it wasn’t noticeable at the time due to how late in the game it occurred.

Arniel also said that Barron’s recovery will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. With the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off taking up a good portion of the next few weeks, it’s possible that Barron won’t miss too many games, or will at least be reevaluated after the tournament.

Barron had just the one hit in 12:10 of ice time in the win.

Barron has taken a slight step back production-wise this season, with just 5 goals and 3 assists for 8 points in 52 games. That would have put him on pace for just 12 points before the injury, well behind his past couple seasons that saw him produce closer to the 20-point mark.

In response to the injury, the Jets have placed Barron on injured reserve, and have recalled center Parker Ford from their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. He has 11 goals and 6 assists for 17 points in 36 games in the AHL this season.

Ford is set to make his NHL debut on Thursday against the Boston Bruins. He’ll slot in on the fourth line alongside Alex Iafallo and David Gustafsson.

The Jets currently sit in first place in the Central Division with a 35-14-3 record, which is also tied with the Washington Capitals for the best record in the league. Winnipeg will look to extend their four-game winning streak when they visit the Bruins in Boston at 6 p.m. CST.