WINNIPEG – This was to be the summer when the winds of change blew through Winnipeg.
Core items would be moved, others fixed with a long-term contract that would of course put them right at the heart of the leadership group.
The Winnipeg Jets were expected to experience significant upheaval on the personnel side after being disqualified from the playoffs for the seventh time in 11 seasons since the franchise’s move from Atlanta after a disappointing 2021-22 season.
Instead, the biggest move of the offseason came behind the bench, where Rick Bowness was replaced by interim head coach Dave Lowry and Paul Maurice, whose departures in mid-December caught the players by surprise and left some of them reeling as the season progressed.
Bowness’s hiring came after the Jets went after Barrydios, who eventually decided to take time off.
While a step (or two) is still expected to be taken involving a member of an already overcrowded Defense Corps, Jets general manager Kevin Chevledayoff has given his current group a vote of confidence and he seems comfortable pushing it back for the most part.
It’s a strategic move, but that doesn’t mean it’s risk-free.
The Jets have yet to be a major player in free agency, and that came as no great surprise, although some value deals were offered that were scarce but ultimately didn’t materialize.
Sam Gagner is a versatile veteran forward who will help mitigate Paul Stastny’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes both on and off the ice, but he’s an addition at this stage in his career.
This is no punch for gagners. But on the contrary.
Every team needs players like him and he’ll help improve the secondary scoring side of things, while his ability to check and kill penalties should help in areas that need attention.
But the signing of a 33-year-old in early September is the most spectacular move taken at a time when Cheveldayoff was open in July that he wanted to improve the forward position. It’s time to look under the hood.
What happened to the whispers that the Jets and Captain Blake Wheeler are looking for a fresh start?
They’ve calmed down significantly, and while we may never know how close the two sides parted, the microscope will understandably be on Wheeler when he speaks to the media for the first time later this month.
Whether a conversation with Bowness was enough to settle the situation, or whether the Jets’ reluctance to keep salary in the face of a possible deal with a competitor was more of a stumbling block is unclear at the moment. Wheeler will report to camp, and you can expect that he will continue to be a productive player and deliver an incredibly high stake level.
Wheeler wants to win and he’ll be motivated to do so, although his minutes are likely to be reduced with the arrival of Bowness.
From his media appearance in July, Jets center Mark Scheifele said he had an epiphany and is pleased with the direction the Jets are taking after expressing some frustration and openly questioning his future.
Extremely productive and committed to the two-way game, Scheifele will be a crucial part of the Jets as they progress from squishy middle to playoff team.
Scheifele isn’t happy with how last season ended and you can expect to see the best version of himself as he knows exactly what’s at stake for both the franchise and himself with several core pieces, two Years away from unrestricted free agency.
Speaking of that group, a lot of attention will be given to his colleague Pierre-Luc Dubois, who made headlines over the summer when his agent Pat Brisson raised the possibility that his client might be interested in playing for the hometown Montreal Canadiens in the future he always was still a limited free agent.
Dubois said the situation was exaggerated but he needed to back his words with action and build on last season when he was a physical force and delivered one of his best seasons as a pro.
By signing a one-year deal, Dubois and the Jets have simply bought themselves some time to see what the next step will be.
But failing to secure a long-term extension means Dubois’ future will become a front burner issue next summer, if not sooner.
The other cornerstone whose contract may expire in the summer of 2024 is goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck and his return to elite status (with his two raw numbers supporting his still-strong underlying stats) could be the most important factor in where the Complete Jets next season.
That’s not to say he has to carry the Jets alone, but he’s a different person who didn’t like the way last season went and rest assured he’s spent the summer doing whatever he can to supply Vezina again. netminding level.
It’s also important to note that once the Jets stop giving up excessive shots and scoring chances from the highly dangerous area in front of him, the goal will be a lot easier to get to.
That’s the #1 priority for Bowness and his coaching staff once camp begins.
To stay with the goalies, the arrival of David Rittich as a replacement for Eric Comrie is another show-me situation.
Much like when Comrie got the job, Rittich will be tasked with proving he can get back to where he once was, and while the Jets don’t need him as an All-Star, he’s expected to be somewhere close to be counted 20 begins to keep Hellebuyck, the workhorse, fresh.
The Jets’ forward line has the potential to become a threat, even after the departures of Andrew Copp, Stastny and Evgeny Svechnikov.
Despite missing 20 games last season, Nikolaj Ehlers finished fourth (28 goals) and fifth (55 points in 62 games) on the team.
Those numbers are sure to increase as Ehlers is expected to see a jump in his minutes and finally be promoted to the top powerplay unit.
Should he stay healthy, Ehlers can eclipse 30 goals for the first time in his career and has the ability to deliver north of 40.
Kyle Connor is having his best season as a pro and there is nothing to suggest that the 47 goals and 93 points he has scored in 79 games represents his peak performance.
Getting the puck in the net shouldn’t be a problem for this team, especially as 2020 first-rounder Cole Perfetti is set to play a key role in his first full NHL season.
Though the secondary score needs to go up a bit, the Jets are counting on internal candidates like Morgan Barron and Jansen Harkins to complement what’s expected of Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton.
The flood of defenders – most of whom are on one-way contracts and not exempt from waivers – remains the biggest surprise of the offseason.
Cheveldayoff reiterated the importance of having too many blue-liners rather than too few – and he’s seen firsthand what it’s like to deal with the latter in the truncated 2020 season – but that deadlock has yet to be alleviated, and you’d think it’ll be dealt before the start of the regular season on October 14 against the New York Rangers.
With Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg ready for full-time work, it’s hard to imagine the opening-day roster also including all of Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Brenden Dillon, Nate Schmidt, Dylan DeMelo, Logan Stanley and Johnny Kovacevic, but it It is clear there was no deal that would have piqued Cheveldayoff’s interest enough to act (at least not yet).
When it comes to the Defense Corps, Pionk is a prime candidate for a bounceback season and it will be interesting to see if Bowness considers using him as a main partner for Morrissey.
One thing the Jets have is the ability to add another player, whether it’s through trading with a team looking to drop salary or freehand.
With around $4-5 million in cap space available, Cheveldayoff is in a position several teams would love to be in, and while his patience has frustrated many members of the fanbase this summer, sentiment could change if this money is used to boost the middle six forward.
Having flexibility and scope is nice, but the Jets look like a team that still needs a roster upgrade to push for a playoff spot, so this training camp will be one of the most interesting ones in recent memory observed.
The Jets are in no danger of being anointed as a contender for best team in Canada this season, but there’s a way they can be better than you might think and pushing for a playoff spot.
At the helm of the Central Division are the gold standard Colorado Avalanche and a slew of other competitive teams (most of which have some flaws), but the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks are also rebuilding, leaving the Jets with the job to do enough on the ice to prove they can do better than sixth and push for third or fourth place.
While outside expectations of this group won’t be nearly as high for the Jets as they were last season, the internal pressures and stakes certainly are.
This franchise is at a crossroads and needs to take a major step forward before making some monumental decisions involving the core group.
Not committing to a full teardown was the right thing to do for the Jets for now, but sticking mostly to the status quo means a return to full contender status is far from a guarantee.
Unless steps forward are taken, these stormy winds of change could finally arrive sometime in 2023.
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