Five keys to get Winnipeg Jets to the next level

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This article was published 03/10/2017 (2901 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They’ve been talking the talk, saying all the right things throughout the pre-season about what they need to do in order to turn potential into progress and take the next step.

So, can the Winnipeg Jets walk the walk?

There is no shortage of optimism around these parts, but there’s also a healthy dose of skepticism mixed in from a fan base that’s been burned a few times before.

Sure, there’s plenty that could go wrong again. But with a brand-new season set to begin tonight — and the Jets currently tied for first-place overall in the National Hockey League — we present to you a glass-half-full look at how this team can not only make its second playoff appearance since relocating to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011, but actually take a legitimate run at Lord Stanley’s cup.

STEVE MASON SHINES — AND CONNOR HELLEBUYCK THRIVES

The masked men seem to have quickly developed some off-ice chemistry during camp, with Mason taking on the role of veteran mentor to the talented but inconsistent Hellebuyck. Will it pay off with improved play in the crease? The Jets are certainly banking on it, and if Mason can revert to something close to his rookie-of-the-year form (in 2008 with the Columbus Blue Jackets) while allowing Hellebuyck to flourish in a backup role with far less pressure than was the case last season, there will be much to celebrate. The Jets don’t need exceptional goaltending to succeed. Just something in the range of league-average should be enough most nights with the type of offensive firepower they possess.

“I’m really excited to get going here. I think everybody is. It’s Game 1 of 82. We just have to handle it one game at a time. But I think we’re all ready to put last season and the summer behind us and get going,” Mason said after practice Tuesday.

EVERYBODY BUYS IN

Sure, scoring goals is a lot of fun. The Jets likely won’t have much problem doing that this season, coming off a campaign in which they put up 249, which was tied for sixth-most in the league. But everybody seems to recognize a change in approach is necessary, even if it means some personal statistics may suffer. Keeping the puck out of your net is just as important as lighting the lamp, and the club’s top offensive players have been preaching the need to be more defensively responsible to avoid a situation like last year, where they gave up 256 goals, fourth-worst in the NHL. If they truly buy in, success will follow.

“I’ve never really liked playing defensively, but at this level you gotta be able to do it,” fleet forward Nikolaj Ehlers said Tuesday. “It’s not that I was horrible at it, but I wasn’t the best at it and it’s something I wanted to get better at and it’s something we as a team needed to get better at.”

THE BAD BOYS TURN OVER A NEW LEAF

They just can’t seem to help themselves. But if the Jets finally do get the message and cut down on their all-too-frequent trips to the sin bin, that alone should result in a few more wins. Coach Paul Maurice’s decision to have retired referee Paul Devorski advise his young players during the pre-season was certainly a novel approach and one that shows the bench boss recognizes the status quo is no longer acceptable. But the proof, as they say, will be in the pudding.

A HEALTHY DOSE OF GOOD FORTUNE

It can’t possibly get any worse than last season, when the Jets had 364 man-games lost to injury. That was second-most in the NHL and the constant lineup rotation made it difficult to develop any consistency. There will always be players going down over the rigours of an 82-game schedule, but if they can manage to limit the damage it should pave the way — especially on the blue line, where the health of players such as Tyler Myers, Toby Enstrom and Dmitry Kulikov will be key. Depth in the form of Tucker Poolman and Ben Chiarot may also help weather any storms that might come their way.

THE KIDS TAKE ANOTHER STEP

If Patrik Laine can avoid a so-called sophomore slump — and judging by his fantastic pre-season that shouldn’t be a concern — the Jets will reap the rewards. Ehlers is entering his third full season, and Maurice has praised him recently for taking the biggest strides of any player on the roster. Mark Scheifele is emerging as one of the league’s top centres, and continued growth should come on the blue-line from Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey. These five first-round draft picks give the team a huge boost simply by gaining another year of experience.

“I have a couple new tricks on the ice,” Laine said when asked how he can build on his incredible 36-goal rookie campaign. “I think they (opponents) now know what I can do and what our team can do on the ice and they’ll be a little more careful… I’ll just try to figure out something new.”

We’ll give the final word to the captain, who is certainly not shying away from a playoffs-or-bust approach.

“You’ve got one shot at having a career in this league,” said Blake Wheeler. “At a certain point in time you want to win. I’ve been trying to win for six years here. I think we’re at the point now where you see some young guys blossoming into impact players. Some of our veteran guys, some of our young guys have kinda come together to create a pretty good nucleus.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Mike McIntyre
Reporter

Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.

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