DeMelo did not travel to Toronto, so he will miss at least Monday's game and could miss the entire three-game road-trip. DeMelo is staying in Winnipeg to be with his wife for the birth of their child.
Toews is out with a medical issue with no timetable for his return. Moving him to LTIR means he will miss at least 24-days but he wasn't necessarily expected to return before that anyway.
DeMelo and his wife just had a baby so he will not play Thursday vs. the Flames. With DeMelo sidelined, Sami Niku will draw into the lineup.
In a statement, Toews said that he's been experiencing symptoms that have left him feeling "drained and lethargic." He is working with doctors to get a better understanding of his condition and will not join the Blackhawks until he "can get [his] health back to a place where feel [he] can perform at an elite level and help [his] team."
DeMelo was set to become a UFA on Friday but the Jets have locked him up through the 2024 season at $3.0M. This is a fair price for a defenseman, who is a pretty good offensive play driver who is also rock solid in his own end. DeMelo had 10 assists, 105 hits and 77 blocked shots in 59 games between the Senators and Jets last season.
Bjugstad missed 46 games after undergoing core muscle surgery in 2020 and then was hurt again three games after returning to the lineup and then the season was paused. Bjugstad has missed a total of 92 games (39.5%) over the last three seasons but will look for a fresh start in his hometown. Bjusgstad was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and went to the University of Minnesota, so this should be a welcomed move for the 28-year-old centre. Both Mikko Koivu and Alex Galchenyuk are UFAs at season's end, so there could be a very clear path to a bottom-6 role for Bjugstad.
Winnipeg drafted Samberg in the second-round (No.43 overall) of the 2017 NHL draft. The 6-foot-4, 215 lbs. defenseman had 21 points (1G / 20A) in 28 games at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He represented the USA in the World Juniors in 2018 and 2019, posting a combined six points (1G / 5A) in 14 games.
