Winnipeg Jets: Three Stories to Watch in Training Camp
The Winnipeg Jets training camp is less than two weeks away, and here is a look at some of the stories to follow leading into the regular season.
The Winnipeg Jets begin the 2021-22 regular season on October 14 against the Anaheim Ducks. Jets fans are understandably excited based on the extremely busy offseason the Jets had with a considerable amount of roster moves, which you can read about here in an excellent summary from Kieran Hurley.
On paper, the Jets have upgraded their roster from the team that finished last season with a second-round playoff loss to eventual Stanley Cup finalist Montreal Canadiens. However, with so many changes to the roster, there are some areas of uncertainty that the team will need to assess during training camp.
Here are three stories for Jets fans to watch when training camp opens for the Winnipeg Jets in mid-September.
3. Backup Goaltender
When training camp opens the Winnipeg Jets depth chart will have 26-year-old Eric Comrie as the backup goaltender to Connor Hellebuyck. Comrie has played most of his career in the AHL as a starting and backup goaltender.
His NHL experience has been limited to eight games with a save percentage of .873. Unless general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff picks up a veteran goaltender through waivers or a trade, the Jets will enter the regular season with a backup goaltender who has not proven he’s ready to play at the NHL level.
Mikhail Berdin will be Comrie’s competition for the backup goaltender job when training camp opens. Berdin has excelled in an increasing role with the AHL Manitoba Moose posting a save percentage of .910 and .897 in his last two seasons. If Berdin excels in camp or the exhibition games, he may get a look with the NHL club as back up to Connor Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck will continue to be one of the busiest starting goaltenders in the NHL. Last year he started 80% of the regular season games and every playoff game. This means that the Jets do not typically rely on their backup goaltender to play often. However, the team is entering the season with the most uncertainty in their goaltending situation than they have had since 2017.
2. Who will play on the Jets’ third line?
When the Winnipeg Jets protected Logan Stanley in the NHL expansion draft, it was clear to most fans that the team’s preference was for the Seattle Kraken to select forward Mason Appleton, rather than veteran defenseman Dylan DeMelo. The expansion draft went according to plan meaning that the Jets now have an opportunity for a player to play with Andrew Copp and Adam Lowry on the third line.
The favorite coming into training camp for this role is 2017 first-round draft pick Kristian Vesalainen. Last season he spent time with the Jets and in the AHL Manitoba Moose, and started to show flashes of the talent that the team had hoped would develop. Vesalainen has an advantage coming into camp as he spent time most of his time with the NHL club playing with Copp and Lowry on the third line.
Competing with Vesalainen for a role on the third line will be Jansen Harkins, Cole Perfetti, David Gustafsson, and Dominic Tonitato. Cole Perfetti is the Jets’ best young prospect and had an excellent season last year playing for the Manitoba Moose and for Team Canada at the World Championships. He projects as a top-six forward in the NHL and would bring a level of higher offensive talent to the third line.
Harkins, Gustafsson, and Tonitato are more likely to be competing for spots on the Jets’ fourth line playing with NHL veteran Riley Nash. The pre-season exhibition games may factor into who starts the season on the Jets’ third line.
1. Will Pierre Luc Dubois Have a Bounce Back Season?
Pierre Luc Dubois was the Jets’ biggest acquisition last season through a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Though many fans were disappointed to lose sniper Patrik Laine in that trade, most were excited that the return was the player picked right after Laine in the 2016 Entry Draft.
Throughout his NHL career Dubois had proven to be a legitimate second-line NHL center who uses his combination of skill and size to make life difficult for opposing teams. Jets fans were particularly excited based on Dubois’ play in the 2019-20 playoffs with the Columbus Blue Jackets when he had 10 points in 10 games, and was the best player on the ice in many of the games against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Unfortunately for Jets fans and Dubois, he had his worst season in the NHL after the trade. There were many legitimate reasons that Dubois, the team, and fans have cited that contributed to his struggles. Whatever factors contributed, the Jets need Dubois to return to the level of play he had before last season.
Dubois’ game is not just about scoring points, as he has demonstrated the ability to play well defensively and play physically. However, for the Jets to contend in a much tougher Central division, the team needs him to put up somewhere between 50 – 60 points.
Fans will be closely watching Dubois in training camp to see if he looks more like the player he was with the Blue Jackets. I believe that Dubois will bounce back from a challenging season and return to the player he was, which will be great for the Jets and for him as he enters his restricted free agency in the summer of 2022.
Winnipeg Jets Fans: What stories are you looking forward to in Jets training camp? Leave your comments below!
Trending. Winnipeg Jets 2021 Offseason So Far with Signings, Departures & Trades. light
*All Stats Provided by Elite Prospects and Contract Information Provided by Cap Friendly*