Is Nikolaj Ehlers playing tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights? April 24, 2023 NHL Playoffs

Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers will not be playing tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. The news was reported by hockey insider John Shannon, who revealed that Ehlers was not cleared to play by the medical staff.

This marks the fourth straight game that Ehlers will miss due to his upper-body injury. The talented winger was a major contributor to the Jets during the regular season, tallying 12 goals and 26 assists in just 45 games.

The absence of Ehlers is certainly a blow for the Jets, who have needed to find other ways to generate offense against a tough Golden Knights team. However, they have proven to be a resilient group all season long. They have relied on their depth players to step up in Ehlers' absence.

Despite missing one of their top players, the Jets still have plenty of talent in their lineup. Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Blake Wheeler will need to lead the charge offensively, while Connor Hellebuyck will be relied upon to provide strong goaltending.

A look at Nikolaj Ehlers' NHL career

Nikolaj Ehlers has established himself as a dynamic presence in the NHL since making his debut with the Winnipeg Jets during the 2015-16 season. The Aalborg, Denmark native was selected ninth overall by the Jets in the 2014 NHL Draft. He made their roster as a 19-year-old after a strong showing in his first training camp.

Ehlers is a gifted player with the puck, possessing the ability to pass and finish with equal aplomb. He quickly made his mark in the NHL, recording a point in eight of his first nine games after being held scoreless in his debut against the Boston Bruins.

The speedy left winger recorded his first two assists on a pair of goals by Mark Scheifele and his first NHL goal with a blistering slap shot against Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers.

In his rookie season, Nikolaj Ehlers finished tied for sixth on the team in scoring with 38 points. He ranked11th in total ice time among Jets skaters, which made his numbers even more impressive.

Ehlers followed that up with a breakout sophomore season during the 2016-17 campaign. He notched 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) and established himself as one of the NHL's most exciting young players.

Nikolaj Ehlers has continued to produce at a high level in subsequent seasons. He scored at least 21 goals in each of the next three campaigns and tallying a career-high 29 goals in 2017-18.