Ehlers appears ready to return as Jets prepare for Stars

WINNIPEG - On Tuesday, the Winnipeg Jets got forward Andrew Copp back in the line-up after missing six games with a concussion.
On Friday, they could get another forward back in the fold - Nikolaj Ehlers.
"I'm ready to go and I talked to the medical staff about it as well," said Ehlers. "It feels great. Not just being on the ice and practicing with the guys, but being around the guys. A couple weeks alone in Winnipeg while the guys are on the road isn't as fun as it sounds."
The 26-year-old winger, who has 13 goals and 25 points in the 34 games he's played this season, has missed 19 games with a knee injury he suffered after a knee-on-knee hit from Washington Capitals defenceman Dmitry Orlov on January 18.
"I did feel that something wasn't right, but I skated out by myself," said Ehlers. "I actually thought I was going to be fine to keep playing. But when I stood up the second time on the bench, it didn't feel good. I kind of realized at that point that I wasn't going to be playing for a little while."

During the six weeks he was out of action, Ehlers was able to travel home to Denmark to be with family. He wasn't able to be around them over Christmas and then, with the recent passing of his grandfather, the opportunity to get in some family time was too difficult to pass up.
"You don't want to get injured, but if there's a right time to get injured that was it," said Ehlers. "I went home and spent a lot of time with my family and my grandma, of course. So, I'm really thankful that I got to go home."

Ehlers skated on a line with Copp and Adam Lowry during Friday's 35-minute practice at Canada Life Centre.
Although interim head coach Dave Lowry officially has Ehlers listed as a game-time decision for Friday's big divisional tilt with the Dallas Stars, he did seem to indicate that the speedy forward would - in all likelihood - be in the line-up.
"Look where he was today," said Dave Lowry. "That's a real good starting place for him. He's with two responsible players, he gives them speed."
The rest of the Jets line rushes looked like this on Thursday:
Stastny-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Dubois-Svechnikov
Copp-Lowry-Ehlers
Vesalainen-Toninato-Harkins
Poganski, Brooks
Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Stanley
Beaulieu-Schmidt
Logan Stanley was in Neal Pionk's regular place alongside Brenden Dillon, as Pionk continues to only skate come game time.
"He's managing something," said Dave Lowry. "He will play games."

Playing games is music to the ears of Ehlers, who has had to watch from the sidelines as his team battles to try and gain ground in the Western Conference wildcard race.
He's watched as the Jets have picked up wins over Arizona and Montreal, and can't wait to start contributing on the ice. His line mate is just as excited.
"He transports the puck through the neutral zone better than anyone on our team, and he brings an element of speed that he's elite at that and he really pushes defenders back," said Adam Lowry. "He can create something out of nothing, it seems. He gets the puck, he gets a step on a guy, and you can kind of really drag in and kind of drag the team to help play faster, as you're just trying to keep up with him."
He's joining a line that has been producing offensively, even if Copp has only been back for one game.
Copp scored the eventual game-winner against Montreal (a momentum turning power play marker 18 seconds after Connor Hellebuyck stopped Rem Pitlick on a penalty shot in the second period) and added an assist. Meanwhile, Lowry also scored against the Canadiens, giving the big centre a three-game goal streak.
"It's amazing what a little confidence will do for you," he said. "You feel a little better with the puck, there's times where you're going to be shooting it where maybe sometimes you're looking to pass or turn down. It's things like that, the first half of the season was real ice cold for me. It's nice that they are going in right now."
Heading into action on Thursday night, the Jets are six points back of the Stars for the final wildcard spot in the West, and seven points back of the first wildcard spot currently held by the Nashville Predators.
So needless to say, the fourth and final meeting of the season against the Stars tomorrow night carries some extra weight.
"We know how important the points are against Dallas and another divisional game against a team that's in the wild-card right now, and a team that we're chasing and we're going to have to pass if we're going to get in," said Lowry. "We let a couple slip away down there, so it's important that we use these swings to your advantage, you come out the right way and have similar starts like we had in the last two games."