The Winnipeg Jets have added another piece in the form of Nick Shore. The former 3rd round pick from the 2011 draft was claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the news.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1202271802543792128
Jets Claim Nick Shore
Shore hasn’t contributed much in his career. The Los Angeles Kings took him in the 2011 Draft and he scored 49 points in 221 games before embarking on a journey with several organizations. He joined the Maple Leafs this summer after playing for the Kings, Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames all in 2017-18.
Shore had been a marginal piece for the Leafs this season with just two goals and three points in 21 games. His average ice time of 9:13 was his lowest of any season outside of his brief stint as a Senator. Toronto needed to waive him as Mitch Marner is returning from injury and the team had no roster space. He wasn’t scoring much but he was still winning more than half of his face-offs and contributed a small number of hits and blocks.
What This Means for the Future
This doesn’t affect Toronto much at all. They still have plenty of cheap forwards they can pull up from the AHL affiliate if they experience more injuries. However, this move means much more for the Jets. Their top-six is set but Shore will very easily slide into a role on the fourth line. He is a more experienced option than 19-year-old David Gustafsson who is currently projected for that spot.
Nick Shore is far from an exciting waiver snag but he has been an effective physical player in his career. The Jets are second in the Central Division playing some of the luckiest hockey in the NHL. Shore will help them address some concerns related to the penalty kill and bottom-six toughness.
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