Jets' Vilardi out 4-6 weeks with sprained MCL

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabe Vilardi is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a strained MCL, the team announced Wednesday.

Vilardi sustained the injury during the Jets' 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. He went down awkwardly after taking contact from Kings forward and former teammate Blake Lizotte along the boards early in the first period and didn't return to the contest.

Lizotte received a tripping penalty as a result of the play.

Vilardi joined Winnipeg in June as part of the package that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to Los Angeles. The new Jet has one assist in three games so far this campaign.

"I feel terrible for him," head coach Rick Bowness said, per NHL.com's Jamie Thomas. "Listen, he's a big part of our team. He was on the No. 1 line, No. 1 power play, and he looked good doing it.

"He worked very hard all summer. He was a really good fit for (Kyle Connor) and Mark (Scheifele), it's unfortunate that happened. He's had a tough time with injuries. Hopefully, this is it for this year, and he comes back and is a major contributor as the season goes on."

An 11th overall pick by the Kings in 2017, Vilardi spent the first four seasons of his career on the West Coast. He put up 41 goals and 78 points in 152 games with Los Angeles and enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2022-23 in which he scored 23 goals - including six game-winners - in 63 outings.

The 24-year-old signed a two-year, $6.875-million extension with the Jets as a restricted free agent in July.