WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets are focusing on the regular season, but many of their fans will look beyond that to gauge the team’s success.
After being bounced out of the NHL playoffs in the first round the past two seasons, a deep post-season run may be the only thing to satisfy their followers.
New head coach Scott Arniel knows the early playoff exits linger in the minds of fans and some players, but he’s concentrating on a style that produces sustainable strong play.
“I’m not (thinking) that far down the road. I’m worrying about Edmonton and Game 1,” Arniel said of Winnipeg’s regular-season opener on the road against the Oilers on Wednesday.
“We’ve talked an awful lot about compete and making sure that when we get into games that our level of compete is higher than the opposition. Hopefully on those tough nights and tough travel, tough back-to-backs or whatever they might be, that that’s the difference in the hockey game.”
Arniel, 62, was hired after Rick Bowness retired at the end of last season. He was associate coach the past two seasons and went 15-7-3 filling in during Bowness’s absences for family or health reasons.
Winnipeg’s first-round loss to Colorado in five games last season came after the team finished fourth overall in the NHL with a 52-24-6 record. The Jets had swept the Avalanche in their three-game season series but were outplayed in the playoffs.
Jets veteran Connor Hellebuyck had his name etched on the William M. Jennings Trophy for being the netminder on the team that allowed the fewest goals against.
He also won a second Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie, but struggled in the playoffs with a 5.23 goals-against average and .870 save percentage.
Winnipeg hasn't reached the second round of the post-season since 2021.
Second-year captain Adam Lowry likes Arniel’s emphasis of ramping up the way the Jets compete, whether it’s battling individually during five-on-five play or on special teams.
“(It’s) digging in and finding the extra way to create one more opportunity for your team or eliminating one more chance that the other team is going to generate,” Lowry said.
Winnipeg’s roster hasn’t changed much from last season, although there were a few veteran departures and unexpected early injuries.
Defencemen Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt are gone, as well as forwards Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli.
Early in camp, defencemen Ville Heinola (ankle) and Logan Stanley (knee) both underwent surgeries and were expected to be out for at least a month.
“We’ve got some good depth here and we’ll have to rely on that early on,” star defenceman Josh Morrissey said.
He doesn’t foresee counting on Hellebuyck any more than usual because of the injuries.
“We were the No. 1 defensive team in the league last year for goals against,” Morrissey said. “Of course, a lot of that goes on the goaltending, but a lot of that’s on our five-on-five play and special teams that we’re trying to work on.”
Morrissey will be paired again with Dylan DeMelo. Dylan Samberg and Neal Pionk are the next duo, while Colin Miller is expected to skate with newcomer Haydn Fleury.
Winnipeg’s forward lines feature the top trio of centre Mark Scheifele flanked by Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi.
Scheifele led the team in scoring last season with 25 goals and 72 points in 74 games. Connor had a team-high 34 goals in 65 outings.
With Monahan not re-signed, Winnipeg’s second line has been running with centre Vladislav Namestnikov and wingers Cole Perfetti and Nikolaj Ehlers.
Morrissey has buried thoughts about the quick exit from the post-season now that the new campaign is here.
“The parity in the league is as good as it’s ever been,” he said. “So if you’re looking at the playoffs already, I think you’re in trouble.
“We’re trying to build off of the things that we got better at last year.”
BEING SPECIAL
Arniel brought in assistant Davis Payne to coach the forwards and power play, while newcomer Dean Chynoweth is responsible for the defence corps and penalty kill.
Winnipeg ranked 22nd on the power play last season and 21st on the penalty kill.
Ehlers has been moved up to the first power-play unit while Scheifele and Connor have spent time working on the kill.
NEXT MAN IN NET
Hellebuyck had a 37-19-4 record last season with five shutouts while Laurent Brossoit, who signed with the Chicago Blackhawks this season, was 15-5-2 with three shutouts.
Kaapo Kahkonen and Eric Comrie are the backup options this season.
On Monday, the Jets announced forwards Nikita Chibrikov and Brad Lambert were assigned to the AHL's Manitoba Moose.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press