The Winnipeg Jets are now four days into training camp, with a preseason game against the Edmonton Oilers under their belt. They won the game 2-1 in a shootout, and Colin Delia stopped 36 of 37 shots to help power them to victory. Despite the on-ice action being limited, there are a few notable things to take away.
Cole Perfetti Looks Comfortable at Centre
One of the biggest storylines this offseason was the second-line centre position, and who was going to fill the void that Pierre-Luc Dubois is leaving behind. Line rushes through the first few days show that Gabriel Vilardi will start on Mark Scheifele’s wing, along with Kyle Connor. That leaves Cole Perfetti to be the team’s second-line centre.
When asked about being given the first crack at this position, Perfetti said “I feel comfortable, I’ve played centre pretty much my whole life up until the last few years here, but I feel comfortable up the middle, it’s just getting used to it at this speed and I think each day in camp it’s going to get a bit better and better, and I felt good today and am excited for the opportunity.
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Perfetti dressed for the teams’ opening preseason game and ended up scoring the shootout winner. He has looked incredibly comfortable as a centre between that game and the limited scrimmage action during training camp. That’s what he was drafted as back in 2020, and given the opportunity that has arisen, now is the perfect time to give him that chance.
He has been making the right reads, using his elite hockey vision and passing, and most importantly, he was staying off the wall. Both of his major injuries have been shoulder injuries that have occurred on hits along the boards, and playing centre could potentially limit those hits.
This is a crucial year for Perfetti’s long-term development, as he needs to stay healthy and make up some lost time, all while moving to a position he hasn’t played at the NHL level yet. Despite the lack of experience at centre, the early returns indicate that he is a natural in that spot, and he will be able to thrive will talented wingers on his line.
Jets Fourth-Line Will Earn Plenty of Ice Time
The Dubois trade brought depth to the Jets’ forward core, and that has been shown with the effectiveness of the fourth line. Morgan Barron, Rasmus Kupari, and Vladislav Namestnikov make up what should be one of the better fourth lines the Jets have had since 2017-18.
In a five-on-five scrimmage drill, this fourth-line was matched up with the Jets top line of Connor, Scheifele, and Vilardi. They held their own in the defensive end and relentlessly forechecked in the offensive end, which is exactly what you’d want out of a bottom-six line combination.
Namestnikov being on the fourth line instead of Mason Appleton came as a surprise to fans, and it’s one to monitor as the season gets going. If the third line of Alex Iafallo, new Captain Adam Lowry, and Mason Appleton somehow struggles to play a shutdown role, Namestnikov will be able to fill those shoes. With injuries piling up last season, he was able to step into the second-line centre role and produce, which just shows how versatile of a player he is.
Mark Scheifele & Connor Hellebuyck Situations Quiet For Now
Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck have been the talk of the town for the majority of the offseason, and on day one of training camp, they put some of those rumours to bed and committed their focus to the upcoming season. Plenty of talks have surrounded these situations for the past couple of months, but now that the season is about to get underway, the Jets need both of them to resume their extremely crucial roles at a high level if they want to return to the playoffs.
While these situations will not remain quiet for the entirety of the season, they are at least turned down for now. If the Jets struggle to start the season for the first 20-25 games, then the conversations and rumours are sure to resurface. Training camp was the perfect time to eliminate the distractions, and for the most part, they did that with their media availabilities on day one.
With five more preseason games to go, and roughly two weeks of training camp skates to continue, more storylines are sure to arise. For now, the biggest offseason storylines such as the second-line centre and statuses of Scheifele and Hellebuyck have been somewhat answered. The Jets continue their preseason with home games on Sept. 25 against the Edmonton Oilers and Sept. 27 against the Calgary Flames.