The 5-6-0 Winnipeg Jets have made a second Waiver claim of the 2019-20 NHL season.
After picking up defender Carl Dahlstrom from Chicago on October 1, the Jets added to their struggling defensive corps Wednesday morning, by adding Luca Sbisa off Waivers from the Anaheim Ducks. This move comes as Winnipeg has found itself at an all-time low in terms of defensive support and availability.
After losing Tyler Myers (Vancouver), Ben Chiarot (Montreal), Jacob Trouba (New York) and Joe Morrow (New Jersey) in the 2019 offseason, Winnipeg was dealt another blow as longtime Jet Dustin Byfuglien announced a personal leave of absence from the team and has since to comment on his future or potential return. This, paired with injuries to Nathan Beaulieu, Tucker Poolman, and the aforementioned Dahlstrom, has left Winnipeg scrounging for defensive help.
Sbisa, 29, has spent the past 11 seasons between the NHL and the AHL, first breaking into the league with the Philadelphia Flyers, before spending parts of five seasons in Anaheim. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound blueliner has also seen action with the Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights and the New York Islanders.
In 504 career games, Sbisa has 18 goals, 103 points and 348 penalty minutes. In nine games with the Islanders last year, the former first round draft pick collected one assist and two penalties. Sbisa will look to slot into Winnipeg’s lineup as the Jets travel to Regina for the Heritage Classic set to take place outdoors against the Calgary Flames at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday evening.
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