James Wright claimed by Winnipeg

  The Winnipeg Jets have claimed James Wright off waivers from the Florida Panthers. The 6'4" 205 pound 22 year old put up 5 goals and 12 assists in 40 games with the Rampage. He was centering the second line between Casey Wellman and Jon Rheault which had really developed some nice chemistry in recent weeks.

  The loss of Wright will have a pretty significant impact on the Rampage. With Wright off to the NHL and Scott Timmins questionable for the weekend, the Rampage are dangerously thin down the middle. Only Drew Shore and Jared Gomes remain on the roster as natural centers. We may see Casey Wellman slide over where he played the first 3-4 weeks of the season and struggled defensively. Also, Jon Sim is officially listed as a "forward", so he may have some experience playing center. Another option is Josh Birkholz in Cinicinnati. Good speed and plays hard. He could fit into the 3rd/4th line.

 The loss of Wright does open up a spot for the Panthers to be able to sign both Alex Kovalev (already official) and Dmitri Kulikov (pending physical). So, while the move hurts the Rampage, it does help out the Panthers in a major way.

  Regardless, this is a fantastic opportunity for Wright. I wish him well and hope that he sticks in Winnipeg. If he doesn't, we could still see James in the silver and black this season.