Gustafsson has a real shot

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This article was published 20/09/2021 (1503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

David Gustafsson would appear to have all the tools needed to be an effective NHL centre. Now the 21-year-old is staring down his best opportunity yet to put his stamp on a full-time job with the Winnipeg Jets.

He knows it, too.

“Obviously, I always try to get extra prepared for camp. For sure, there’s always motivation when you see that there is actually a chance, that you might take a spot and you might keep it, too,” Gustafsson said Monday as he wrapped up a five-day pro minicamp at Bell MTS Iceplex, ahead of Thursday’s official start of training camp.

“It gives you extra motivation, and like I said, I try to come as extra prepared as I can for every camp.”

A quick scan of the organizational depth chart shows a hole just waiting to be filled up the middle on the fourth line. Veterans Nate Thompson and Mark Letestu, who were signed to hold down those roles the past two years, are no longer in Winnipeg. Sure, the team went out and signed Riley Nash this summer, but he could also slide to the wing, if needed.

The 6-1, 191-pound Gustafsson should be given every opportunity to show he belongs. The reigning most valuable player for the Manitoba Moose, who put up 19 points in 22 AHL games last year, has already showed tantalizing glimpses at the highest level. After being selected in the second round, 60th overall, of the 2018 draft, he made his NHL debut early in the 2019-20 season, notching his first big-league goal. He ended up playing in 22 games with the Jets that year, and four more last season.

“You get named the MVP, it really shows that the people think you’re doing good and they appreciate your work down there. I feel like I had a good season and I really enjoyed my time down there. I think it made it useful for me, too,” said Gustafsson, who also had prolonged stints on Winnipeg’s taxi squad last year.

“Taxi squad would maybe not be the best spot for me because I’m a young guy and I need to play a lot and develop, but there is always things you can learn,” he said. “When you’re up there, you see how NHL players prepare, both before games and the night before and on practice day. What are they doing that makes them NHL players? I feel like I learned a lot from the guys up there.”

Jets coach Paul Maurice likes his bottom-six forwards to be able to kill penalties, which is something Gustafsson did in spades with the Moose last year. Thompson, along with Trevor Lewis and Mason Appleton, were all forwards who helped fill that role last season, and now have to be replaced.

“Penalty kill is something I feel like I’m good at, and if I want to play with the Jets, I got to show them I can play penalty kill, too,” said Gustafsson. “It means more ice time there. It’s something extra, I try to work small details every time.”

He prefers centre, but is also willing to slide to the wing if it means getting in the lineup on a regular basis. The entire fourth-line will be constructed in camp, with Thompson, Lewis and Mathieu Perreault all gone.

“If there’s a spot open on the wing, I don’t want to be missing that opportunity just because I can play only centre. I want to take whatever opportunity I can get,” he said.

“I’ve been on the ice a lot in Sweden so I felt I was already a little bit ahead. This summer has been very important for me because I’m a young guy and I have some stuff I need to work on. I’ve been talking to Paul and Chevy told me some stuff that I need to work on. Talked to my trainer back home and specifically worked on that stuff. It’s a lot of speed, explosive, in my skating. That’s what I’ve been working on most.”

Now that he’s back in North America, Gustafsson has a couple new faces to hang out with in defenceman Simon Lundmark and goaltender Arvid Holm, who are attending their first Jets camps.

“I finally have some guys to talk Swedish to,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve tried to show them around, go out for dinner. I don’t that much about Winnipeg yet, I’m still kind of new, I would say, but I showed them all I know.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg