The Winnipeg Jets have likely lost goaltender Ondrej Pavelec for the rest of the season. Head coach Paul Maurice announced on Monday that the netminder required arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee. While recovery time for such a surgery is normally two-to three weeks, this may take a little longer due to the nature of the position.
Don’t have all the details, but Ondrej Pavelec is having surgery today, which will end his season and essentially, his tenure with #NHLJets
— Ken Wiebe (@WiebeSunSports) March 6, 2017
Ondrej Pavelec Likely Out for the Season
Pavelec, whom returned to the Jets lineup in late January after spending some significant time in the American Hockey League with the Jets’ affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, has gone on to post mediocre numbers. This season, Pavelec has gone 4-4-0 in eight games started with a goals average against of 3.55 and an 0.888 save percentage.
The numbers almost guarantee that Pavelec’s time with the Jets will end this summer. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent, and the Jets are unlikely to re-sign him. Pavelec will be looking for a new start with a new franchise. He has spent all of his ten NHL seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets club.
In his career, Ondrej Pavelec has a 152-158-47 record with a 2.87 goals against average and a .907 save percentage in that span. The 29-year-old, Czech Republic native has already seen his peak and is now at the point in his career where a back-up position is adequate. His best season came in 2014-15 where he went 22-16-8 with a 2.28 GAA and a .920 save percentage.
Main Photo:
