Winnipeg Jets news: Josh Morrissey skated on the top pair beside Dylan DeMelo at the morning skate and is in line to play his first game in over a month tonight as the Jets host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Canada Life Centre, chasing a third straight win.
By Maplestime Sports Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | November 8, 2026
Sources: Illegal Curve Hockey | NHL.com | Last updated: November 8, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Josh Morrissey skated on the top pair with Dylan DeMelo at the morning skate after wearing a regular jersey at practice on Saturday, and he is in line to return tonight after missing 13 games with a wrist injury.
- The morning skate was well attended and optional, with only Cole Perfetti and Mario Ferraro not skating. Both players still appear in the projected lines, so their absence is no sign either one is out tonight.
- Dawson Mercer is projected on the second line with Brayden Yager and Cole Perfetti, and Stuart Skinner is projected to start in net for Winnipeg.
- Tampa Bay arrives on the second half of a back to back after an overtime win over Minnesota on Saturday night, with Andrei Vasilevskiy projected to start.
- Puck drop is 5 PM CST at Canada Life Centre, on TSN3.
Morrissey Back on the Top Pair
Morrissey has not played since October 7, when he was hurt against Colorado. He wore a regular jersey at practice on Saturday for the first time in a month, and head coach Scott Arniel said then that he wanted to see how the defenceman came through practice before declaring him ready. The morning skate answered that question as far as it can: Morrissey skated beside his usual partner DeMelo on the top pair, and he quarterbacked the top power play unit at practice on Saturday. That is the clearest sign yet that he plays tonight.
Winnipeg has missed him. The Jets went 3-8-2 in his absence, and the club went through a nine game winless stretch before back to back wins over Montreal and Vancouver. Arniel calls Morrissey one of the elite defencemen in the league, a player who can match up against top lines at both ends of the ice.
Projected Lines and Starting Goalies
The projected Jets lines from the morning skate are Connor, Scheifele and Vilardi on the top line; Mercer, Yager and Perfetti on the second line; Iafallo, Lowry and Bjorck on the third line; and Koepke, Barron and Rosen on the fourth line. On defence, the pairs are Morrissey and DeMelo, Samberg and Pionk, and Ferraro and Bauer, with Skinner projected to start in goal.
Mercer scored his first goal as a Jet on Thursday against Vancouver, and it stood as the game winner in the 6 to 2 win. Yager, recalled earlier in the week, stays in the middle of the second line.
Tampa Bay is projected to go with Guentzel, Point and Kucherov up front, with Vasilevskiy in net. Elias Salomonsson remains away from the Jets for personal reasons, and defenceman Henry Thrun was recalled from the Manitoba Moose on an emergency basis on Saturday evening. Thrun has one goal and six assists in 13 games with Manitoba this season. Haydn Fleury practiced on Saturday after blocking a shot against Vancouver.
Lightning Arrive on a Back to Back
Tampa Bay played on Saturday night in St. Paul and came back to beat Minnesota in overtime. The Lightning are perfect at home this season at 8-0-0 but have been more ordinary on the road, though they added a road win on Saturday. Tampa Bay won the first meeting between these teams this season, 6 to 4 in Tampa on October 29.
Winnipeg has had the better of this matchup at home of late. The Jets have won their last five games against the Lightning at Canada Life Centre, last losing to Tampa Bay at home on January 17, 2020.
What Is at Stake Tonight
The Jets are 6-8-3 and riding two straight wins after the nine game winless run, a 5 to 4 overtime comeback in Montreal followed by the 6 to 2 win over Vancouver at home on Thursday. Kyle Connor leads Winnipeg with 19 points on a team high 13 goals. A third straight win, with Morrissey back in the lineup, would be the clearest sign yet that the Jets have turned the corner.
Tampa Bay is a much tougher test than Vancouver. The Lightning bring one of the league’s best top lines to Winnipeg, and they will be playing their second game in two nights. The Jets have a chance to take advantage of tired legs, but only if the start matches the energy of the last two games.
Maplestime will provide updates from the Jets vs Lightning game as announcements are made tonight.
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