After the Jets one-upped the Lightning and grabbed Antti Miettinen off re-entry waivers yesterday, they’re hoping the Finnish winger will be ready to play this weekend. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff says they’re trying everything in their power to get him into town and ready to play as soon as possible.
The timing for Miettinen’s return to the NHL after bombing out in Europe is a fun one as Winnipeg will be welcoming back their greatest Finnish player of all time on Saturday in Teemu Selanne. Miettinen can only hope he’ll have a small taste of the success Selanne had playing in Winnipeg when he eventually suits up for the Jets.
Miettinen will bring more forward depth to a Jets team that can use all it can get. While they’ve been doing well enough this season to hang around in the playoff race, they don’t quite have the depth to withstand any injuries. Miettinen’s two-way skills should help them out there.
Of course, if Miettinen does make his Jets debut on Saturday, he and the rest of the players suiting up that night will have to be OK with stepping aside for Selanne to take the spotlight for the night.