The Winnipeg Jets will likely be starting next season with a significant hole in their lineup.

Captain Adam Lowry underwent hip surgery on Tuesday and is not expected to be ready in time for the start of the 2025-26 campaign. His recovery and rehabilitation time is estimated at five to six months, which would mean a potential return between the end of October and end of November.

The NHL schedule won’t be released until late June but teams are expected to begin their 82-game season in early October. Training camp will begin in mid-September.

Lowry, 32, is coming off a terrific year in which he scored a career-high 16 goals in 73 regular-season games and then chipped in with four playoff tallies in 13 contests. He was the shutdown centre for the No. 1 defensive team in the league, which also finished on top of the standings with a 56-22-4 record.

MATT SLOCUM / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry underwent hip surgery on Tuesday and is not expected to be ready in time for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

The Jets won their first-round playoff series in dramatic fashion, with Lowry scoring the overtime winner in Game 7 against the St. Louis Blues, then fell in six games to the Dallas Stars during the second round.

It would appear the need for medical intervention is something that just recently came up, perhaps in the post-season medicals that all players go through. Lowry made no mention of it last week when meeting with the media for year-end interviews, nor did head coach Scott Arniel or general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff.

Lowry, the second-ever draft pick of the 2.0 Jets, has been remarkably durable during his career despite his hard-nosed playing style but did miss eight games this past season with an upper-body injury he suffered in January against Utah after crashing into the boards. The Jets responded to his absence by reeling off eight straight victories.

A statement from the Jets, released Wednesday, says Lowry is expected to “make a full recovery.” It’s not clear if this is related to the issue that came up earlier in the year or something else entirely.

Lowry’s situation should up the urgency for Cheveldayoff to address the off-season need for another proven centre in Winnipeg’s roster, either through a free agent signing or trade. The Jets attempted to deal for one at the deadline in early March — Brock Nelson was their prime target — but could not get it done, with Nelson ultimately joining Colorado.

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Adam Lowry’s situation should up the urgency for Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to address the off-season need for another proven centre in Winnipeg’s roster, either through a free agent signing or trade.

Vlad Namestnikov, who finished the regular-season on a 16-game scoring drought (and had just one goal in his final 29 games and two over his final 43 contests) was the de facto No. 2 centre on the club, although Lowry’s heavy minutes against the other team’s top players often meant he was in that position.

Other centre options on the current roster include Morgan Barron, who was moved over from the wing late in the year, along with David Gustafsson and Rasmus Kupari, who were perpetual healthy scratches down the stretch. Moose captain Dominic Toninato appeared in seven games with the Jets but is a pending unrestricted free agent.

In terms of prospects, 21-year-old Brad Lambert just finished up his second pro season with the Manitoba Moose, but had just seven goals in 61 AHL games after scoring 21 times in 64 games as a rookie. He’s played six games with the Jets so far, registering no goals and two assists.

Brayden Yager, 20, just wrapped up his final season in the Western Hockey League and will make the jump to pro this fall. He had 82 points (25G, 57A) in 54 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors and Lethbridge Hurricanes, then added 14 points (8G, 6A) in 16 playoff games this spring.

Depending on how this summer shakes out, Lowry’s absence could mean extended looks for both of Lambert and Yager in training camp and beyond as the depth chart behind No. 1 centre Mark Scheifele looks rather thin at the moment.

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As for Lowry, he will be the entering the final year of his current contract which pays him US$3.25 million annually. He is eligible to sign an extension as of July 1 and has made it clear that’s something on his radar.

“That’s kind of how I picture myself. As a Winnipeg Jet for life,” he said last week.

“I love the city, love playing in front of these fans and I think that’s something that hopefully we can take steps towards getting that out of the way this summer. There’s obviously a few more important pieces that will probably get done before. But I don’t see that being an issue. As long as they want to bring me back, I’m more than happy to come back.”

Cheveldayoff made it clear getting his captain’s signature on a new contract is a top priority.

“I think the world of Lows. He is Winnipeg. He is what it embodies,” said Cheveldayoff.

“I think the world of Lows. He is Winnipeg. He is what it embodies.”–Kevin Cheveldayoff

Lowry showed that in spades during Winnipeg’s final game of the year, a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss in Dallas. Scheifele, whose father had passed away earlier that day, was in the penalty box when the Stars scored the series winner. Lowry immediately skated over to Scheifele to console his teammate in what became a viral moment on social media.

“We’re a family. Just to let him know that we’re there for him. It’s just an awful day for him. You want to give him the strength, you want to get that kill so bad. We just couldn’t do it,” an emotional Lowry said following the game.

Lowry, who now has 775 career NHL games under his belt, was named captain prior to the 2023-24 season by now retired head coach Rick Bowness. He said last week he believes the best is still to come for the organization which selected him 67th-overall in 2011.

“There’s a lot of optimism that with another good summer, guys really pushing to get better to work on their game and to find ways to improve, that we can come back next year and put ourselves in a spot to be successful again,” he said.

“Put ourselves in a spot to go on another playoff run and hopefully this one ends in late June instead of late May.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg

Mike McIntyre Reporter

Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.

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