Coach Paul Maurice announced Thursday that Stuart would be out until February with a lower-body injury. Winnipeg's situation on defense has turned from troubling to dire, as Stuart's absence means that all of the Jets' top four blueliners are now out with significant injuries. Though Stuart offers the least offensive ability of those four players, he's arguably the most feisty, as he leads the team in blocked shots (74) and ranks fifth in hits (74). He apparently suffered the injury during a fight in Tuesday's 5-1 rout of the Sabres.

Stuart collected a shorthanded assist in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Stars. The blueliner has picked up an assist in three of the last four games while the Jets' attack has started to awaken. Rather than scoring, Stuart has been most useful to Winnipeg by simply playing soundly in his own zone and staying healthy. That latter factor has helped create some needed stability in a top four that will be without Toby Enstrom (lower body) and Zach Bogosian (lower body) for multiple weeks.

Stuart picked up two assists -- one on an empty-net goal -- in Thursday's win over Carolina. The nice night ended a seven-game scoreless stretch for Stuart, who isn't generally known for his offense. He doesn't often record multi-point games -- in fact, this was his first one since March 10, 2013.

Stuart recorded a goal on his lone shot attempt in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Coyotes. Stuart nearly saw his tally taken off the board after he whisked the puck past goalie Mike Smith on the near post, but video replay showed that the puck had crossed the line for the score. Hardly a player that looks for his own offense, Stuart might have already met his season quota for goal-scoring, after recording just four in total over his last two campaigns, spanning 111 games. The defensive stalwart will offer most of his contributions in specialty categories, such as hits, blocks and penalty minutes.

Stuart is dealing with a minor muscle issue, Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reports. Stuart is apparently improving and is considered day-to-day at this point. The injury doesn't appear as though it will cost him any regular season time.

Mark Stuart has inked a four-year, $10.5 million contract extension with the Winnipeg Jets. Stuart is a defensive defenseman with 81 penalty minutes, 163 hits, and 118 blocked shots in 50 games. This represents a significant raise over his previous $1.7 million annual cap hit.

Mark Stuart wants to stay with the Winnipeg Jets. "I believe in this team and this organization, and we're on the verge of doing good things here and I want to be a part of it," Stuart said. "I want to stay in Winnipeg." He can be an unrestricted free agent this summer, which of course has led to some speculation that he could be traded next week. Stuart can pick up penalty minutes, hits and blocks, but he doesn't get many points.

Mark Stuart was credited with 12 hits in Thursday's 4-2 loss to Washington. That is an extremly high total for one game. Stuart has always been a good source of hits (148 in 46 games this season), so if hits are a category in your hockey pool, consider Stuart for a roster spot. He has some fantasy value especially since he is partnering with phenom Jacob Trouba.

Mark Stuart is eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season. He has seven points, 63 penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating in 41 games. He has also been a good influence on his rookie defense partner Jacob Trouba.

Mark Stuart will return to action Sunday night against Colorado. He is ready to go after missing Friday night's contest against Minnesota. If you need a little muscle from your blueline, Stuart could provide it.