Jets Waive Thrun and Zhilkin, Signaling Depth Chart Clarity Before Season Open

The Winnipeg Jets placed defenseman Henry Thrun and forward Danny Zhilkin on waivers today for assignment to the Manitoba Moose, consolidating their opening-day roster with one day to spare before the regular season deadline. The moves leave the Jets with 27 skaters in camp and a hard ceiling of 23 players by Monday, September 28—one week before the season opener on October 2 against Boston.

Thrun, a 6-foot-2 left defenseman signed as a free agent this summer, spent last season in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, compiling 23 points in 55 regular-season games and posting nine points in 24 playoff games as Toronto won the Calder Cup. He appeared in four games with the Maple Leafs but registered no points, and Toronto declined to extend a qualifying offer, leaving him unrestricted and available to the Jets' bidding. Zhilkin, a 22-year-old forward drafted by Winnipeg in 2022, played six NHL games last season without scoring and recorded a career-high 24 points in 62 AHL games with the Moose. Neither player has demonstrated the offensive throughput to compete for consistent NHL minutes in a playoff-contention lineup.

From a betting perspective, these waivers matter less for their individual prop lines—neither Thrun nor Zhilkin commanded meaningful usage or ice time expectations at the NHL level—and more for what they clarify about Winnipeg's depth chart structure. The Jets have now locked in their opening roster, eliminating uncertainty around fourth-line forward deployment and third-pairing defenseman assignments. Market makers pricing team totals, moneylines, and forward/defender point props for Winnipeg's season opener can now model game flow with finality: no surprise scratches, no unexpected elevation of AHL depth to meaningful shift counts. The clarity reduces variance in group betting—team shot totals, power-play points, and goaltender save volume become more predictable when the available roster is officially set.

For bettors targeting Winnipeg totals, shots, or assists markets, the waiver action itself carries minimal direct impact—Thrun and Zhilkin were marginal contributors competing for fringe ice time. However, the certainty of the final roster composition removes a category of execution risk that typically inflates line volatility in the final 72 hours before puck drop. If you were hesitant to commit to Winnipeg team totals or individual assist props because of lingering roster churn, today's waivers eliminate that friction point. The downside: with clarity comes market efficiency. Winnipeg's numbers are now effectively set; any remaining edge comes from analysis of opponent matchups and game flow, not from insider knowledge of who will actually dress.