The Winnipeg Jets announced Thursday that defenseman Dylan Samberg and forward Gustav Nyquist have been activated from injured reserve, with the team also placing defenseman Haydn Fleury and forward Cole Koepke on IR retroactive to Nov. 11 and Nov. 7, respectively.

Winnipeg Jets PR (@WpgJetsPR) on X TRANSACTIONS: The #NHLJets have activated D – Dylan Samberg and F - Gustav Nyquist from injured reserve. The Jets have also placed D - Haydn Fleury and F - Cole Koepke on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 11 and Nov. 7, respectively.

Samberg, 26, is coming off a breakout season in 2024-25, appearing in 60 games and posting career highs with six goals and 20 points. He tied for sixth in the NHL with a +34 rating while averaging over 21 minutes of ice time per game, solidifying his role as a reliable top-four defenseman. Beyond his five-on-five contributions, Samberg emerged as a key component of Winnipeg’s penalty kill, praised for his size, mobility, and shot-blocking ability. With his return, Samberg is expected to resume his pairing with Neal Pionk on the second defensive unit.

Nyquist, the 36-year-old Swedish winger, is returning after a difficult stretch. Last season, he managed only 28 points in 79 games split between the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild, a steep drop from his career-best 75-point campaign in 2023-24, which included a personal-high 52 assists.

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff had hoped Nyquist would rebound to a steady 50- to 60-point level to help offset the loss of top winger Nikolaj Ehlers, but so far this season, Nyquist has registered just five assists in 11 games without a goal. If he fails to score in Thursday’s matchup against the Seattle Kraken, it will mark the slowest start of his career, tying his longest goal drought to begin a season since his rookie year in 2011-12. 

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In Nyquist’s absence, forward Vladislav Namestnikov has stepped up as the 32-year-old Russian forward, shifted from center to wing and scored in four of first last six games in the role, including a three-game goal streak. Upon his return, Namestnikov will remain on the second line while Nyquist will slot in on the fourth line alongside rookie Parker Ford and Tanner Pearson, who has also struggled recently, recording just two points in 12 games.

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