Scheifele nearing a return as Jets home stand continues

WINNIPEG - Every day, Mark Scheifele inches closer to a return.
Following today's 45-minute skate at Bell MTS Place, the 24-year-old was heading to an appointment to check on the progress of his upper-body injury, which has sidelined him since Dec. 27.
"I feel really good. It's in the doctor's hands. They're the experts. I still have to see him and make sure everything is healing perfect," said Scheifele.
"It's nice to get some bumps in and be feeling good from it. I'm happy with my progress. I still have to get another evaluation. The timeline is still up in the air, but as of right now I'm feeling good and recovery is going well."
Both Scheifele and Jets head coach Paul Maurice pumped the brakes on the possibility of Scheifele returning to action as early as tomorrow's game against the Arizona Coyotes.
Instead, Maurice wants to see how the centre comes back to the rink tomorrow.
"He got through the practice today well," said Maurice. "I don't have him in the line-up (tomorrow). If he has two more days like that, he'll play against St. Louis."

Scheifele had 38 points in 38 games when he sustained the injury against the Edmonton Oilers.
For a guy that loves being at the rink, and staying on the ice as long as possible to work on the finer details of his game, being immobilized in a sling was a tough adjustment.
"It sucks every game you're on the sidelines. Since I've been on the ice, that softens the blow a little bit, not being in the games. I had to bring my brother in for a week to help keep me sane," said Scheifele, adding some encouraging messages from Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos helped him in the early going as well.
Stamkos has suffered injuries such as a broken right tibia, blood clots, and a torn meniscus throughout his career.
"Stammer has been through it all. Hearing from him, and knowing he's been through a lot worse than I have, that obviously makes it easy," said Scheifele. "I have a lot of great friends, a lot of great people around me helping me through it, and definitely a lot of well wishes. I can't thank them enough for helping me through it."

What has also softened the blow for Scheifele is the performance of the team while he has been recovering. The Jets have gone 10-2-3 since the assistant captain's injury, and is currently on a stretch of seven games with at least a point.
"We've got some great players. Every guy has stepped up. Every guy has been doing more, and we've been playing solid," said Scheifele, who gave a nod to captain Blake Wheeler for sliding into the middle so seamlessly.
"He's the guy that drives this team each and every night. Whether he's on the wing or whether he's in centre, it starts right from the top," Scheifele said of Wheeler - who has five goals and 16 points in Scheifele's absence.
"I think everyone follows his lead. I know when I'm in the line-up I follow his lead every single night. That's what this team did. They played a solid game, battled right to the end, and I couldn't be happier to see our record right now."
The only question that remains is whether Maurice will reunite Scheifele and Wheeler immediately upon Scheifele's return.
"There's two pieces to that. I'll have to think hard about moving Blake out of the middle, but not where I'm putting Mark," said Maurice.

"Coming out of a six-week injury, I don't want him in a new position. The hits are different, how the game is played is different. So Mark will go back in at centre. We'll decide, based on the other injuries we have, how we think we look tomorrow night, whether we leave Blake there or not.
"It would mean that maybe Andrew Copp goes back to the wing, and you balance your lines differently. But we'll make that decision in a few days."