Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey of Calgary, Alberta will miss the remainder of the first round playoff series between the Jets and Vegas Golden Knights according to Judy Owen of The Canadian Press. Morrissey had a knee-on-knee collision with Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud of Brandon, Manitoba at 4:34 of the first period in game three, a 5-4 Golden Knights win in double overtime.
Morrissey had only two shifts at the time of the injury for a total of one minute and 14 seconds of ice time. He had one hit.
2023 NHL Playoff Statistics
In three games, Morrissey had one assist for one point and was a +1. The assist came on Tuesday, in the 5-1 Jets over the Golden Knights. It was a secondary helper on a Kyle Connor goal which opened the scoring at 1:24 of the second period. He also had eight shifts and three blocked shots.
Expected Norris Trophy Candidate
In the regular season, Morrissey played as one of the top defensemen in the National Hockey League. In 78 games, he had 16 goals and 60 assists for 76 points. Morrissey was a +2 with 41 penalty minutes, 28 power-play points, six game-winning goals, 172 shots on goal, 119 blocked shots, 89 hits, 36 takeaways, and 59 giveaways.
At first glance from an offensive perspective, you could make the argument that San Jose Sharks blueliner Erik Karlsson of Landsbro, Sweden would win the Norris Trophy as he reached the century mark with a career-high 101 points. However, Morrissey needs to be given consideration because Karlsson was an awful -26 with 20 more giveaways than takeaways.
Trailing in the Series
By losing to the Golden Knights on Saturday, Vegas has taken the 2-1 series lead in the best out of seven series. With Morrissey out, expect Dylan Samberg of Saginaw, Minnesota to get more playing time. He had 22 minutes of ice time in game three. The fourth game of the series is Monday in Winnipeg.
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