Chibrikov earns his shot Giving Moose scoring leader NHL experience all part of Jets long-term plan By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 5:12 PM CST Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024 Last Modified: 7:21 PM CST Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024 Updates

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Scott Arniel essentially said it was part of the master plan.

Although the Winnipeg Jets were mostly happy with the play of forward prospect Brad Lambert during his four-game callup, he was returned to the Manitoba Moose on Monday.

Taking his spot is winger Nikita Chibrikov, who leads the Moose in scoring with five goals and 13 points in 18 games in the American Hockey League this season.

“We felt both Chibby and Lambo had good training camps and that (if) we had an opportunity, (if) something happened with our top-six, that we want to get a chance to look at them,” said Jets head coach Arniel. “And with (Nikolaj) Ehlers being out, this is a little bit by design. I really liked what Lambo did for us, but we want to see Chibby, too.”

Chibrikov is a feisty forward with good offensive instincts and, though he doesn’t play with the same pace as Lambert, he often finds himself in the middle of the action.

“He goes after the puck, he’s got some bite to him. He goes inside. I’m sure he’s going to disrupt some people,” said Arniel. “But I love the fact he shoots the puck, too. He loves to shoot the puck. He gets himself in a position for that.”

The other layer to this move is that by bringing up a feisty winger, Vladislav Namestnikov moves back to his natural position after shifting to the wing as Lambert occupied the second-line centre role. Cole Perfetti rounds out the second line.

Chibrikov made his NHL debut in game 82 last season, finding the back of the net against the Vancouver Canucks.

Having gone through the emotions of suiting up in his first NHL game last April, Chibrikov should be able to focus on doing the things that allowed him to earn the promotion to the Jets.

“It helps a lot. When I made my debut, it was one of the first steps to becoming an NHL player and build a little bit more confidence,” said Chibrikov, noting that Namestnikov’s ability to speak Russian will make it a little easier to communicate on the ice with his linemate. “But it is a new season, it’s not their last game, so (there’s) more pressure here. I am ready.”

“He’s really tenacious. He’s good on the forecheck. For not being a huge guy, he likes to go to those dirty areas.”–Jets captain Adam Lowry

Chosen in the second round (50th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft, Chibrikov is in his second pro season in North America and he’s made a smooth transition after coming over from the KHL.

“Play my way, be ready (to make) a little bit quicker and faster decisions,” said Chibrikov, noting he is comfortable on either wing but prefers to play on the right, his off-side. “Try to go in the corners, be heavy with the guys. I am not afraid to go to the net. Make smart decisions and (show) a little bit of playmaking.”

Although his skating needs to improve before he becomes an NHL regular, he’s got a lot of qualities that should make him an effective player within this forward group.

“He’s definitely earned the opportunity,” said Jets captain Adam Lowry. “One thing about him, he’s really tenacious. He’s good on the forecheck. For not being a huge guy, he likes to go to those dirty areas.

“He’s got tremendous skill, a great playmaker, so yeah, we’re looking forward to seeing how he complements Vladdy and Fetts (Perfetti).”

Ehlers was back on the ice for the first time since suffering a lower-body issue while throwing a hit on Vegas Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev on Nov. 29.

It remains to be seen whether or not he’ll be an option to return before this four-game homestand wraps up on Saturday against Patrik Laine and the Montreal Canadiens.

“It’s just his first skate, first time out on the ice,” said Arniel. “So, I won’t get into it too much with him.”

To be clear, this isn’t punishment for Lambert missing an empty net in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks or that he was held without a point while averaging 12:44 of ice time and generating one shot on goal and eight shot attempts.

Lambert handled the defensive responsibilities well and Arniel went out of his way to say that’s often one of the biggest issues for a young centre.

There were some mistakes made away from the puck that can be fixed with experience, but overall it was evident Lambert understood what was being asked of him and was committed to doing the job in all three zones.

“Huge gains, even from training camp to this last little stretch. You have to play on the right side of people, especially in your end of the rink,” said Arniel.

“He’s a better player now than he was in September. The biggest thing is that we don’t want this to be an in-and-out splash player that comes up and struggles. There’s a process here. And the process so far is he got a chance to do it in early December, to get this look and to play against really good players from other teams and that’s part of his growth.”

In the big picture, getting some games for two forward prospects such as Lambert and Chibrikov should serve both the players and the organization well as the season progresses.

“Obviously, Lambo came in and I thought as his games went along, he got better. He got more comfortable. It’s one of those things where it takes time,” said Lowry.

“To get both of these guys the opportunities to get some games and to get their feet wet at the NHL level, it’s going to be huge for their development.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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