Gabriel Vilardi came as advertised in his first season with the Winnipeg Jets and displayed some stellar skills. Unfortunately, he also came as advertised regarding his propensity for getting injured.
Vilardi Provided Incredible Net-Front Presence on Top Six, Power Play
The Jets were hoping Vilardi — the key piece in the return in the June 2023 trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings — would take another step forward in his fledgling career. He had played primarily on the Kings’ third line, but now-retired head coach Rick Bowness gave him a chance to strut his stuff as a top-six right-winger and member of the first power-play unit.
When in the lineup, Vilardi proved capable of shouldering those roles and showcased a skillset Winnipeg has not seen in a long time or perhaps ever. He recorded 22 goals and added 14 assists for 36 points in 47 games; nearly all of his goals came from within a foot of the net and were thanks to his uncanny awareness and stick-handling skills. He was especially hot in December while on the first line with Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers.
The Jets’ power play, which suffered long stretches of futility this season and finished 22nd in the league, was a lot better when Vilardi was parked in front of opposing goaltenders. His nine power-play goals led the team and a couple of them were downright filthy. As captain Adam Lowry put it, Vilardi can “stick handle in a phone booth” (From ‘Up close: an in-depth look at Gabe Vilardi’s goalscoring exploits,’ Winnipeg Free Press, April 5, 2024.)
In the first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche, Vilardi didn’t score, but chipped in four assists in five games to finish tied for third on the team in points.
Vilardi’s Season Was Derailed By Injuries Again
Unfortunately, Vilardi’s historic lack of durability was once again an issue as he missed 35 games with four various injuries or illnesses.
His season got off to an inauspicious start as he missed 16 games due to an MCL sprain in early October sustained when tripped from behind by former teammate Blake Lizotte, something Vilardi viewed as malicious and called Lizotte out for. He then missed two games in January due to an undisclosed lower-body injury and 15 more down the stretch due to an enlarged spleen and undisclosed upper-body injury.
Even Bowness expressed frustration with Vilardi’s repeated trips to the infirmary. “Every time he seems to get going, he gets another injury,” he lamented on March 8.
Injuries have dogged Vilardi for a long time. Last season, he was limited to 63 games due to a concussion but still recorded 21 goals and 18 assists for 41 points. He was also hampered by a chronic back injury from the time he was 17 years old and playing in the Ontario Hockey League through 2019-20, where he played 42 games between the Kings and American Hockey League affiliate Ontario Reign. The season prior, 2018-19, he played just four OHL games.
“There were several months — I wouldn’t say years, but several months — where I wasn’t sure if I was going to be playing hockey for my life, which is pretty scary because it’s all I’d ever known, all I ever wanted to do,” Vilardi told the Los Angeles Times in November, 2022. (From ‘Column: A bad back nearly cost the Kings’ Gabe Vilardi his career. Now he’s thriving,” Los Angeles Times, Nov. 2, 2022.)
Vilardi On the Cusp of Stardom
Vilardi has one season left on the two-year bridge deal he signed last summer. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff surely would like to offer him a longer-term contract next summer, but cannot — and should not — until Vilardi does something he has never done: stay healthy for an entire campaign.
However, if Vilardi can avoid long stretches out of the lineup in 2024-25, he should be able to hit the 30-goal mark — his 0.468 goals per game clip this season translates into 38.37 over 82 games — and be in good position for a raise as a restricted free agent.
While Vilardi will take a slight hit on his final grade due to his lack of durability, his play when in the lineup was impressive for someone only 24 years old. His performance looks even better when you consider Dubois had only four more points and six fewer goals than Vilardi in 35 more games.
Final Grade: B-Plus
