Vilardi actually happy to be a Jet

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This article was published 28/06/2023 (826 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s been plenty of talk lately about Winnipeg Jets players seeking what they feel will be greener pastures and asking for a one-way ticket out of town.

So, it will no doubt be refreshing to many within the Jets organization, not to mention the fan base itself, to hear what Gabriel Vilardi had to say Wednesday at his introductory media session.

“The Jets traded for me so, obviously, they want me. I want to be there, I’m excited,” the 23-year-old said on a Zoom call. He is the key piece coming back from Tuesday’s blockbuster trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois packing to Los Angeles.

The Kingston, Ont., product, who was drafted 11th overall by the Kings in 2017, said the chance to ply his trade in his home country will be special.

“I’d be lying not to say but in L.A., they’re not big hockey fans out there. Obviously, they have the Kings fans there that come to the games and are loyal. But it’s different being in Canada,” he said.

“You do miss it. It’s always cool when you play in Canada on the road. So, now I’ll be playing in Canada all the time.”

Then, in a moment of levity, he joked that another member of his household might not be quite as thrilled.

“My girlfriend is from So-Cal, so I’m not sure how excited she is, but she’s going to find out soon,” Vilardi said, with a laugh.

“It’s been good in L.A., obviously really nice. Living at the beach is pretty cool but at the end of the day, I’m a hockey player. It’s just business. I’m going to play hockey.”

Vilardi, an emerging power forward, is embracing the change, which presents a chance to spread his wings.

“More opportunity, obviously,” he said. “Last year I kind of played more of a bottom-six role. I just want to keep growing my game and getting better, and obviously helping the Jets however that is. I’m just excited to kind of get going there.”

Vilardi posted a career-high 23 goals and 18 assists in 63 games while often relegated to the third line. He’ll be used in a more offensive role in Winnipeg, with the ability to either play his natural centre position, or wing as he often did in Los Angeles.

“I think being more of a shoot-first guy kind of changed that for my game,” he said.

“One thing (Kings coach) Todd (McLellan) was very hard on me was my defensive game in terms of the first few years of my pro career. I think last year I kind of turned that corner and he kind of relied on me a bit more in the defence end, which is obviously huge. I want to just keep growing my game. I think there’s still a lot I can do.”

Vilardi began hearing his name in trade rumours late last week, as the Dubois deal slowly crawled toward the finish line. Los Angeles packaged him together with 29-year-old winger Alex Iafallo and 23-year-old centre Rasmus Kupari, along with a 2024 second-round draft pick.

“It’s great to come with other guys. Obviously it will help all of us settle in, hopefully a little sooner,” said Vilardi.

“Both really good guys off the ice, goes without saying. And then Alex, he does everything. He’s very good defensively. Very trustworthy guy. Sneaky skill. He does everything really well. And then I think Ras is just a very speedy guy. Lots of skill. Just kind of that raw speed. He plays very hard, too. They’re both good guys and they work very hard off the ice, too.”

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, speaking with the team’s social media content producers at the draft in Nashville, believes Vilardi is ready to break out in Winnipeg.

“Gabriel is a really interesting situation. Obviously, he had some injuries earlier on in his career. When you go through a development process of a young player and they miss some formative years it takes some time for them to catch up,” said Cheveldayoff.

“What we’re hoping is that you see Gabe come out of those formative years and overcoming those injuries and now taking that next step to be the type of player that he was drafted. He was very highly sought out during his draft years.”

As for the bigger picture of the overall trade, Cheveldayoff said it was all about flexibility.

“This trade has given us lots of different depth and lots of different variants within our organization,” he said. “Each of the players brings something unique and specific to their games which is going to give us a much greater variety for the coaches to use and make different concepts with.”

Vilardi is a restricted free agent coming off a one-year US$825,000 deal he signed last summer. He’s due for a significant raise, but whether that comes in the form of a short-term or long-term extension remains to be seen.

“Hopefully we can get something done here soon,” he said, noting he tries not to spend too much time thinking about the business side of the sport which includes the often messy process of getting traded.

“So, it’s kind of weird, but you just don’t dwell on anything, don’t be mad or sad or anything. It’s just part of the business at the end of the day. You go where you’re wanted. They got Dubois, he’s obviously a really good player. We go the other way, we go to Winnipeg. I’m excited. It’s just part of the business like they say. I’m going to Winnipeg, I’m excited, and hopefully I can help the Winnipeg Jets get better.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewp