Up to Arniel to make pieces fit

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This article was published 10/03/2025 (244 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Now comes the fun part for Scott Arniel.

After scribbling out lines and defensive pairings — whether on the dry-erase board in his office or on napkins, sheets of paper or whatever else was available to him after the NHL trade deadline came and went, the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets can start putting his various projections into action Tuesday when the New York Rangers come to town to open a two-game homestand.

Arniel has already incorporated Brandon Tanev in the lineup for the last two games, the arrival of fellow deadline-deal pickup Luke Schenn means the head coach of the Jets figures to have all options available to him for this contest — barring something unforessen.

Although nobody is fully healthy by Game 66, Arniel made it sound like Vladislav Namestnikov had avoided the worst-case scenario after taking a high hit from Jordan Staal in Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Although the concussion spotter pulled Namestnikov from the contest early in the third period, Arniel said the issue for his second-line centre was more related to his nose rather than any lingering symptoms that would be associated with a concussion.

That’s good news for the Jets, who should also have Rasmus Kupari available (provided he gets final clearance following the morning skate) after he spent the past seven days in concussion protocol after he was on the receiving end of a hard check from New York Islanders forward Hudson Fasching and crashed awkwardly into the boards.

With Namestnikov expected to be available to suit up, Arniel will have a decision to make as it relates to his fourth-line centre.

Morgan Barron slid into the middle for the past two games.

Barron won 10 of his 18 draws (56 per cent) and showed he could be a viable option at the position.

The fourth line was on for one goal for at even strength against the New Jersey Devils and one goal against versus the Hurricanes.

Barron is a natural centre, but he’s spent most of his time at left wing since joining the Jets, so there was going to be a bit of a transitional phase for him.

“Positionally, it’s obviously starting to come back to me,” said Barron, noting his execution wasn’t quite as sharp on Sunday. “But I felt comfortable in there taking the face-offs and I think it’ll just continue to improve to get a little practice time in there.”

Kupari provides a right-handed option beyond Mark Scheifele when he’s in the lineup and his speed element is something he can use to his advantage.

Barron plays more of a power-forward game, but he’s probably more responsible defensively.

Both players are tenacious and disruptive on the forecheck — qualities that make each of them a natural fit to play with Alex Iafallo and Tanev on the fourth line.

David Gustafsson has played well when he’s been in the lineup, so the Jets have multiple options to sort through during the stretch run and have some insulation in case of injury.

Tanev didn’t need long to show what he’s going to bring to the equation — and he’s someone who can move up the depth chart onto the third line if needed.

“He’s a worker bee,” said Jets forward Cole Perfetti, who also appreciates the intensity Tanev plays with. “Brings a lot of legs. He’s a great penalty killer. Brings a lot of energy and when gets the puck in those tight spaces, he’s able to make a lot of plays.”

One of the Jets’ strengths is the scoring depth in the forward group.

Iafallo’s six-on-five goal moved him to 10 markers for the campaign, making him the 10th player on the roster — and ninth forward to get to double digits in that category.

The high-end talent is obvious and the top-six has seen the benefits of continuity this season.

Recently, Arniel has revealed a bit of a wrinkle, giving Nikolaj Ehlers several bump-up shifts with Scheifele and Gabe Vilardi coming out of successful penalty kills.

One of those shifts resulted in a goal in the final minute of the second period against the New Jersey Devils, so it could happen a little more often, given Kyle Connor’s increased minutes on the penalty kill.

When it comes to the defence, Arniel seemed encouraged Neal Pionk wasn’t going to miss time after he was seen limping after Sunday’s game.

Arniel said Schenn would make his Jets’ debut on Tuesday, but he wasn’t ready to unveil who his defence partner was going to be in that game.

Might that mean that Haydn Fleury is going to return to the lineup and slide in beside Schenn?

That answer won’t fully be known until the morning skate, but it wouldn’t come as a surprise.

Fleury has played only three games during the past six weeks, though his skating ability figures to be an asset alongside Schenn.

The Jets clearly value the size of Logan Stanley, but he’s coming off a rough outing that saw him on the ice for a pair of even-strength goals against and he was limited to 9:06 of ice time.

Schenn also has the ability to move up the depth chart in case of injury or performance, given his skill set and experience.

“First I’m just going to let him go here, let him get in and get playing,” said Arniel, who coached Schenn at a IIHF world championship in 2010. “I remember watching when he moved to Toronto there, he was playing with (Morgan) Rielly. I’m not saying he’s going up to play with Josh Morrissey, but at the end of the day he’s played in a lot of different scenarios in his career.

“I’m not 100 per cent where I’m going with it, but at the end of the day he’ll be in the lineup and we’ll get him out there on the PK and do what he does best.”

With 17 games left to go in the regular season, it’s incumbent on Arniel and his coaching staff to see where all of the pieces fit.

Whether that be the newcomers or the guys who have been competing for ice time throughout the course of a season, the jockeying for position in the Central Division standings is merely one part of the equation.

The competition for elevated roles — and staying in the lineup, for that matter — is about to hit a crescendo.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld