The reeling Winnipeg Jets will get a big boost to the lineup on Friday as defenseman Zach Bogosian returns from a groin injury to face the Panthers at the MTS Centre.
“He’s got weight, he’s passionate, he can get the puck stopped and he can do a lot of things,” Jets head coach Claude Noel said of Bogosian, as per the National Post.
“He’s a guy who can really help you and we look forward to having him back in the lineup.”
Bogosian, 23, has missed the last 15 games with the ailment, during which the Jets went 5-7-3. Prior to getting hurt he was averaging nearly 23 minutes per game.
At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Bogosian has emerged as a physical, workhorse blueliner for the Jets over the last few seasons. The former No. 3 overall pick at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft had a career campaign in the Jets’ first season in Winnipeg, scoring five goals with a career-high 25 assists in 65 games -- but he’s also had injury issues throughout his time in Manitoba, the latest being this groin setback.
Despite the health woes, Winnipeg re-signed Bogosian to a seven-year, $36 million extension this past summer.