VESALAINEN’S STATUS WITH JETS UNSETTLED

Finnish youngster has out-clause to return to Europe if he doesn’t see enough NHL play

V A NCOUVER Kristian Vesalainen and the Winnipeg Jets find themselves in what appears to be a bit of an unusual and perhaps uncomfortable position right now.

It would probably be a stretch to say the two sides are at odds, but the situation doesn’t seem to be optimal for either party either.

The only thing that’s become abundantly clear is that nobody really has any interest in talking about where things stand or what the resolution might be.

Word of Friday’s recall to the Winnipeg Jets created a bit of a stir, mostly because it came one day after reports out of Finland suggested Vesalainen could be on the verge of exercising his out clause to return to Europe.

Vesalainen’s hometown team, Jokerit, made a move last week to acquire his Kontinental Hockey League rights, which makes perfect sense, especially if there was a chance he was going to become available.

Some eyebrows were raised when it took longer than many people expected for Vesalainen to sign his entry-level deal with the Jets this summer after it was widely reported he would spend this season playing in North America.

When you couple that with the out clause that allows the Jets’ top forward prospect to return to Europe this season (and only this season) if he’s not an NHL regular, there was always a chance a situation like this could arise.

Vesalainen skated with the Jets on Sunday for the first time since the recall, but he was an extra forward (along with Brendan Lemieux) and isn’t expected to suit up on Monday as the Jets open a four-game road trip against the Vancouver Canucks.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice isn’t sure when Vesalainen will get his next chance to play an NHL game.

“We’re going on the road to play four (games) in six (days), so he’s an option for us,” Maurice told reporters. “I don’t have an expectation of it either way. I don’t have a game pencilled in for him or for (Lemieux), and they may both be playing in Calgary (on Wednesday).”

Vesalainen was asked about the rumours swirling around by members of the media on Sunday and didn’t provide any clarity.

How close were you to using your out-clause?

“I don’t know,” Vesalainen told reporters.

Was there any truth to the reports that Vesalainen might potentially be joining Jokerit? “I don’t know,” he said. When pressed on the subject, Vesalainen said he would prefer not to talk about it.

Vesalainen has the right to keep his opinion to himself, and that’s consistent with how he’s handled the topic since it was raised for the first time during training camp.

Vesalainen was fine in his initial audition, a five-game stint to start the season.

He’s a conscientious two-way player, but when used in a fourthline role with limited ice time (he was averaging fewer than seven minutes per game), Vesalainen wasn’t generating much offensively, chipping in an assist with only one shot on goal.

As part of the development process, he was assigned to the Manitoba Moose, of the American Hockey League, to get some seasoning and to gain some confidence as he adapts to the North American game.

Not surprisingly, Vesalainen used the additional ice time to his benefit, finding his form and chipping in three goals and eight points in eight games.

“The first few games passed pretty quick. It was tough, at first and then every game was better,” said Vesalainen.

“Obviously, it’s nice to get that (recall) every time, so I have to make the most of it.”

This was the type of production the Jets were hoping to see from Vesalainen, the 24th overall selection in the 2017 NHL draft.

Under normal circumstances, this would be a perfect time to bring Vesalainen back to the NHL, to see if the growth in his game would translate immediately.

However, the timing for that is affected by the emergence of Nic Petan, Jack Roslovic and Mathieu Perreault on that fourth line. “I’m not looking at changing anything, we like where that line is going,” said Maurice.

So, unless there’s an injury or a flu bug that hits, Vesalainen could find himself on the sidelines as a healthy scratch at a time when he should be playing, either with the Jets, down in the minors or in Europe.

Only time will tell what the best development path for Vesalainen would be and if the 19-year-old ultimately decides to head back to Finland at some point this season, it doesn’t mean there will be irreparable damage to the relationship.

It’s not uncommon for European players to gain experience playing overseas and return when they’re more ready to make an impact.

This isn’t a decision that needs to be rushed, as the gifted forward could choose to return to Europe at any time this season if he’s not an NHL regular.

However, finding some clarity in this situation before it drags out too long would benefit all of the parties involved.