Winnipeg Jets vs CBJ: Dubois and Roslovic Faceoff Against Former Teams

The Winnipeg Jets kick off a three-game road trip tonight as they head to the Nationwide arena to faceoff against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The open puck drop for tonight’s game is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. central time.

Winnipeg is coming into this road trip on a three-game losing streak. On Monday night, the Jets were tied going into the third period and were outshot 17-6 by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the final frame en route to a 3-1 loss.

Columbus has been playing well as of late and has won three of their last four games. In their most recent game, on Monday, the Blue Jackets scored seven goals in a wild game to beat the Sabres 7-4.

Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Winnipeg Jets and Jack Roslovic of the Blue Jackets will match up against their former teams

Pierre-Luc Dubois is back in Columbus for the first time after the blockbuster trade from last season that sent him to the Winnipeg and Patrik Laine to Columbus.

The Blue Jackets selected Dubois as the third overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Laine will not play tonight as he is on the injured reserve with an oblique strain.

Jack Roslovic was also a major piece of that major trade that went to Columbus in exchange for Dubois.

Roslovic was a restricted free agent in the offseason leading up to the 2021 regular season and when the Jets and the Columbus native could not agree on a contract, the former Jets 2015 first-round draft pick asked for a trade. Ultimately, he was included in the trade, and within hours of being traded he signed a lucrative two-year, $3.8 million contract with the Blue Jackets.

Dubois is not the only Winnipeg Jets player who is making his return to Columbus tonight. Riley Nash will be back in Columbus after playing with the franchise from the beginning of the 2018-2019 season till he was traded before the deadline last season to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Odds

The Winnipeg Jets come into tonight as the favorites, courtesy of WynnBET.

Winnipeg has struggled on the road this season posting a 2-3-3 record while Columbus is 6-3-0 on home ice. The Jets have also yet to beat an Eastern Conference/Metropolitan Division opponent (0-2-0).

Projected Lineups

During this losing streak, Paul Maurice and the Jets coaching staff have not made any lineup changes besides a goaltending change against Vancouver.

It does not look likely that the Jets will make any changes for this evening’s game. Connor Hellebuyck is projected to start in goal for the Jets.

Here’s how the Jets are projected to lineup:

Copp-Scheifele-Ehlers
Connor-Dubois-Wheeler
Svechnikov-Lowry-Harkins
Toninanto-Nash-Vesalainen

Dillon-Pionk
Morrissey-Schmidt
Stanley-DeMelo

Hellebuyck (Comrie)

After scoring seven goals on Buffalo and winning three of their last four, Columbus is not projected to make any changes to their forwards and defense, but they are expected to make a change in net.

Elvis Merzlinkins is expected to be the starting goaltender tonight after Joonas Korpisalo started on Monday.

The Blue Jackets lines are listed below are courtesy of the Daily Faceoff.

Here is how the Blue Jackets are expected to lineup :

Nyquist-Jenner-Bjorkstrand
Chinakhov-Sillinger-Voracek
Robinson-Kuraly-Texier
Domi-Roslovic-Hofmann

Werenski-Bean
Gavrikov-Peeke
Bayreuther-Boqvist

Korpisalo (Merzlikins)

Where to Catch the Game

TV: SNW, BSOH

Radio: 680 CJOB

Winnipeg Jets Fans: Will Pierre-Luc Dubois score on his return to Columbus? Leave your comments below!