It's a highly unusual when the Manitoba Moose import an ECHL player straight to their top line, but it says something about the cohesion the AHL team has begun to build.

The Moose have signed Brandon native Mark Derlago, 22, and plan to play him alongside centre Brad Moran and winger Jannik Hansen for tonight's game at MTS Centre against the San Antonio Rampage. Derlago, who has 32 goals in 63 games with the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors, will take the place of left-winger Jason Jaffray, who was sent to the injury list by a shady hit Sunday night in Hershey while the Moose were winning a sixth straight game.

Jaffray is expected to be out for the rest of the regular season and Moose head coach Scott Arniel is reluctant to mess around with his forward lines, which have finally given the 38-24-2-3 team some continuity.

"We'll start with him there," Arniel said after the team's practice at Gateway Community Centre on Tuesday. "If not, we have other options. I don't want to juggle all the lines. I like some of the chemistry that's going with everybody else and I want to keep them together."

Derlago, who attended Manitoba's training camp in the fall, was still en route to Winnipeg Tuesday.

Moose GM Craig Heisinger has been keeping an eye on the former Brandon Wheat Kings sniper.

"From Scotty's perspective, this is sound and it makes sense not to change around all the lines," Heisinger said. "Mark Derlago is no saviour by any stretch but he's a smart player who puts it in the net.

"Will his skating be an issue? It might be, but he's heard that his whole career, and he's gone to ECHL and scored 32 so far. He deserves a chance."

Derlago had two goals in his team's win over Stockton on Monday.

"He's a lot like Jaff, no disrespect to him or to give this kid too much praise, but this kid's a goal-scorer," Arniel added. "He knows how to get to the net."

Going without Jaffray, who leads the team with 21 goals in just 43 games, isn't likely to lead to too many silver linings, but the Moose have done this drill constantly since November when you factor in their own and the NHL Vancouver Canucks' injuries.

"It's a little frustrating, especially because of late our line has been playing well," Moran said. "It's probably more frustrating for (Jaffray) because he's not able to play. But we've had guys in and out of our lineup all year and we're going to have to step it up even more."

Tuesday's signing of Derlago, plus centre Greg Rallo, 26, from Idaho (ECHL) and centre Chris Durand, 21, who's done his junior career with Saskatoon (WHL), brings the Moose to 50 different players this season.

"I hope we never come close to this again and I am lost to find a positive in it," Heisinger said, and he wasn't just talking about the paperwork and travel arrangements required for that amount of shuffling the roster deck.

Arniel tried, however.

"It's a real tribute to the guys who have been here all year long," the coach said. "It's astounding how many guys have gone through here. No disrespect to some of the players, but I kind of forget a few of them who have played, it's been such a crazy stretch.

"You can't say enough about what Bruce (Southern, director of player personnel) and Zinger (Heisinger) have done to go out and fill holes. It isn't just grabbing a player who's in the top 10 of the (ECHL). We're trying to find specific people that fill roles."

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca

AHL tonight

Manitoba Moose

vs. San Antonio Rampage

When: Tonight, Thursday 7:30 p.m.

Where: MTS Centre

Broadcast: CJOB

About the Rampage, 36-20-3-7, tied for second in West Division:

San Antonio comes to Winnipeg to finish up a six-game road trip. The first four were spent last week on a four-game bus holiday to play New England teams, where the squad went 2-2... these games will be the third and fourth meetings of the season. Manitoba dropped a pair in Texas in January.

About the Moose, 38-24-2-3, second in North Division:

The Moose won all five road games while the Brier was taking place in their home and they have won a total of six straight... LW Jason Jaffray, who leads with 21 goals, will miss the rest of the regular season with a shoulder injury. The Moose tonight will also be without C Alex Bolduc (upper body), D Zack FitzGerald (jaw), D Jimmy Sharrow (shoulder) and F Jozef Balej (knee). Coach Scott Arniel said Bolduc was the closest to returning, possibly next week.