Jets activate former first-round pick from LTIR, loan him to AHL for conditioning

In an announcement coming directly from the organization, the Winnipeg Jets have activated forward Rasmus Kupari from long-term injured reserve, and have subsequently assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, for a conditioning sting. Kupari has been out of the lineup for Winnipeg since Nov. 14, as he has been sidelined with a shoulder injury ever since.

Kupari originally came to the Jets organization as one of the many pieces handed over by the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois this past summer. In his three years with the Kings organization, Kupari struggled mightily to produce and to gain ice time, but due to his status as a former first-round selection relatively recently, he still garnered some upside value from Winnipeg.

Unfortunately for both he and the Jets organization, Kupari has once again struggled to get ice time, now averaging only around nine minutes a game in his first 15 contests on the year. His defensive play has left a lot to be desired, while his offensive production has only given him one assist in total on the season.

Only having one year left on his contract after this season, the clock may be ticking on Kupari’s time in the NHL if he is unable to round out his game. Having been built with similar depth to Los Angeles, it’s going to prove extremely difficult for Kupari to become a top-six option in Winnipeg if he is unable to take his game to another level.

The current conditioning sting will give Kupari his return to AHL action, after being regularly shuffled up and down by the Kings organization throughout much of his tenure with the team. Last season, Kupari suited up in 11 games for Los Angeles’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, scoring five goals and nine points overall.