For those of you following my review of the 32 NHL teams, I apologize but it doesn’t appear that I will have the time to get through all of them before I get too busy with the Winnipeg Jets’ pre-season games and all that goes with it. To be honest, I was actually planning on only doing a breakdown by Division, but my write up on the Ducks became so long that I insanely went down the path that I did. Anyways, am still planning on doing the unfinished Central Division teams between Jets articles, but it is highly doubtful that I end up getting to do more than that.
Before we get to looking at who will be attending Winnipeg’s training camp, I thought I would bring up an interesting article about Dustin Byfuglien on Illegal Curve. Apparently the defenseman’s agent was recently on a podcast and said that when he negotiated his last contract with the Jets, Buff told him that he didn’t want a long extension. Despite that, Winnipeg signed him to a 5 year deal and being true to his word, the big guy walked after playing only 3 seasons of that contract. Man, I miss watching Dustin play, but I hope the Minnesotan is thoroughly enjoying his retirement.
Moving on to the official start of the Winnipeg Jets’ training camp, with the players undergoing weigh-ins and off-ice training today. The 53 players invited will hit the rink for the first time on Thursday to get down to the real work, but sadly only 52 will be in attendance. The Cole Perfetti contract situation being un-resolved is the final task on General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff’s summer To Do list. Oddly, somehow what is being called the “nicest negotiation in history” due to the young forward representing the franchise at multiple points in the off-season hasn’t reached an amicable conclusion. Cole had also flown into Winnipeg for some pre-training camp skating with his teammates, but a player can’t show up for the official start of the 2024-25 NHL season without a deal in hand. Based on the media reports throughout the summer, it sounds like Perfetti was anxious to sign a long-term contract with the Jets, but management felt a bridge deal would be the better option. Insiders have recently said that the Jets & the player’s agent are now working on a shorter deal, but there is still a significant gap in the yearly salary demands. Those same experts are saying something similar to the Ottawa Senator’s Shane Pinto’s 2 years @ $3.75M would be agreeable to Fetti’s team. If that is truly the case, then Chevy needs to loosen his grip on the franchise’s wallet and get the deal done. Perfetti has already conceded on a shorter contract, so don’t nickel & dime a young prospect when Winnipeg already has a reputation (whether deserved or not) for treating them unfairly. The front office has until December 1st to get young Cole’s signature on a contract or the forward won’t be able to play in the NHL this season…but hopefully it doesn’t come close to that.
Let’s take a look at the 2024-25 invitees to the Jets’ training camp in the following graphics, sorted by position:
Scott Arniel and the rest of the Winnipeg Jets’ coaching staff have broken up the players into two squads to make the numbers easier to work with and eventually go head to head during on-ice scrimmages. One of the teams is named after Bill Lesuk, a left winger who dressed for both the WHA & NHL Jets (1975-76 to 79-80). The other represents Winkler’s own Ray Neufeld, who the was in Winnipeg’s line up during the mid to late 1980’s. Hmmm….a couple former blue collar forwards. Is the staff trying to send the player’s a message on how they need to play to win this year or did some staffer just pull a couple names out of a hat??
Below are potential depth charts for Team Neufeld and Team Lesuk, though quite a few players could jump up or down the roster when Winnipeg’s coaches actually work them out during the 10 am and 1 pm skates. The skaters heading out on the ice early on Thursday include the following:
Team Neufeld:
A quick look seems to say that Winnipeg has put their 1st & 4th lines on Neufeld’s team, as well as the left side of the NHL’s likely starting defense and of course starter Connor Hellebuyck. They have some of the Jets’ promising prospects in Brayden Yager, Nikita Chibrikov, and Elias Salomonsson, as well as some of the players fighting for a possible NHL roster spot (AJF, Anderson-Dolan, Coghlan, & Shaw).
The second faction to work with assistant coaches Marty Johnson, Dean Chynoweth, and Davis Payne will be these guys:
Team Lesuk:
Team Lesuk will put the goalie’s battling to back up Bucky in head-to-head competition, while they can also deploy 6 of the Jets’ middle six forwards and the top side of the right-handed defense. This team has some of Winnipeg’s prospects who have aims to eventually fill a top six role with the club, Brad Lambert, Colby Barlow, and Chaz Lucius. A player to keep an eye on is Parker Ford, whose rambunctious style of play might allow him to steal a bottom six spot from a veteran. I do wish they would have given a chance for Lambert to play with more of the Jets’ top six talent…they better at least give him some reps with Nicolas Ehlers, cause that will be quite the speedy unit.
Not really sure why the staff opted to split the left defense from the right in the above groups, but it will give a player like Logan Stanley a chance to play much higher up than the 3rd pairing. I also was impressed with Dylan Anhorn’s skating and puck control during the Young Stars Classic, so he may end up being a good replacement for the departed Kyle Capobianco on the Manitoba Moose.
Well, that is about all I have right now on the start of the Winnipeg Jets’ training camp…but with their first pre-season game less than 3 days away there should be plenty to talk about in the upcoming days. If you are planning on being in the area, the Jets will open up on Saturday, September 21st at 7 pm CST at the Canada Life Centre and there are tickets available.
Anyone out there excited for the puck to drop??? Thoughts on the breakdown of the two squads? Who’s got the better chance to win when they play? Which players are you hoping will out-perform a veteran to steal a roster spot? Start kicking off the rust Arctic Ice Hockey members……it is almost time to GO!!!!
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