The Winnipeg Jets had an exceedingly up-and-down 2022-23 season. They had a strong first half, suffered a prolonged slide in the second half, recovered from it just in time to squeak into the playoffs, then were quickly dispatched in the first round by the Vegas Golden Knights.
In this series, we’ll take a look back on the season, player by player, and grade their individual performances with an eye toward their future with the team.
Adam Lowry set a career-high in points this season and proved his worth as an official member of the team’s leadership group, but also disappeared during a long midseason scoring drought.
Lowry Finally Got a Letter Prior To Season
Lowry, the Jets 2.0’s second-ever draft pick, has for a long time been considered a leader and strong voice in the locker room despite never having a letter. Prior to the season, the big third-line centre finally got one.
After new head coach Rick Bowness made the gutsy decision to strip Blake Wheeler of the captaincy in September and said he wouldn’t name a new one, it opened up the opportunity to appoint a third alternate.
The now 30-year-old was the logical choice due to his loyalty and committment to the organization, and Bowness made the right choice to give the veteran the third A.
Lowry Was as Hard-Working As Always
Lowry, through his nine-season career, has become known as gritty and hardworking power forward who does whatever it takes to win. He lived up to his reputation in 2022-23, leading by example in every way and making a good pitch for being the Jets’ next captain.
He stood up for teammates — for example, fighting Tanner Jeannot after Jeannot injured Nate Schmidt with a hit in a December contest and fighting Ryan Reaves after Reaves hit Dylan DeMelo from behind in an April game officials let go off the rails — blocked 46 shots, and dished out 161 hits to lead all Jets forwards.
Lowry continued to play a key role on the penalty kill, which was much improved under the new coaching staff. The regime improved to 82 per cent efficiency from 75 per cent in 2021-22, and Lowry logged 188:40 on the penalty kill to lead all forwards.
Lowry Set Career High In Points, But Wasn’t Immune to Struggles
Lowry struggled offensively in 2021-22, especially when his father Dave Lowry became head coach after Paul Maurice walked away in December, 2021. He recorded just 21 points and admitted it was both a distraction and strain on their relationship.
He got off to a much stronger offensive start under Bowness as the Jets played above expectations through the first three months of the season. By the end of December, he had matched his entire 2021-22 season points output.
However, as the Jets fell into a prolonged second-half slide, he went silent along with the rest of the secondary scorers. He had seven goals by Dec. 12, but then suffered through a 35-game goal drought that spanned nearly three months and didn’t end until March 4.
Lowry picked it up again after getting the monkey off his back, recording seven points in March and three in April as the Jets recovered enough to avoid being the first team in NHL history to lead a conference more than halfway through a season but miss the playoffs.
Related: 8 Jets Who Set New Career Highs in 2022-23
Ultimately, he reached the 30-point plateau for the first time, notching 12 goals and a career-high 23 assists for 36 points. He also recorded a plus-four rating and skated an average of 15:39.
Lowry the Jets’ Best Forward In Playoffs
Lowry was one of the best Jets forwards in their disappointing first-round series versus the Vegas Golden Knights. Most notably, he scored the game-tying goal in Game 3 with 21 seconds left to force overtime in a game the Jets entered the third period of losing 4-1. He also scored a pair of goals in a near-perfect Game 1 victory.
Although the efforts of many of his teammates left much to be desired, Lowry left it all on the ice, scoring a team-leading four goals and adding an assist in the five-game series.
Lowry Wasn’t Happy With Bowness’ Comments, Revealed Interesting Tidbit About Wheeler
Although Bowness was “disappointed and disgusted” by his team’s no-show in the elimination Game 5, he praised Lowry, saying “he puts his heart and his soul into every shift and it shows. He’s a big, mean, physical guy out there. He’s one tough guy to play against. He does so many little things to help this team win that he’s invaluable to this team.” (From “Lowry an emerging star,” Winnipeg Free Press, April 22, 2023.)
Perhaps because of his strong personal performance, Lowry was one of the players to push back against Bowness’ comments after Game 5. In his exit interview, he said Bowness’ words “weren’t necessarily accurate” and should have stayed in the room rather than being aired to the media. That comment was tone-deaf and ignored the fact Bowness tried repeatedly without success to motivate the team behind closed doors throughout their second-half slide.
Lowry said the team did a good job communicating openly with each other throughout the season, but dropped a bombshell by saying they all still saw Wheeler as the captain. This revelation was interesting since Wheeler was never a particularly effective leader or suited, personality-wise, to wear the C. Lowry did, however, add he saw other players growing into leadership roles.
When asked about the uncertain offseason ahead — one where a number of notable players could be shipped out — Lowry said questions about personnel were better suited for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff than him. He did, however, express hope that those core players with one year left on their contracts would choose to re-sign.
Related: 5 Moves the Jets Should Make During the 2023 Offseason
“As a player, my job is to use the summer to find areas where my game can improve, where I can make a bigger impact on this team, so that in the fall when training camp comes around, I’m ready to be a positive influence, a positive impact,” he said, adding his teammates’ contract negotiations and what the front office does are out of his control.
Final Grade: A-Minus
Check out more Jets 2022-23 Report Cards below: