Jetting to the next level Lessons can be learned from final four in chase for Stanley Cup By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 6:45 PM CDT Tuesday, May. 28, 2024 Last Modified: 9:20 PM CDT Tuesday, May. 28, 2024 Updates

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A narrative out there since the Winnipeg Jets flamed out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in five games suggests NHL regular-season success isn’t relevant.

While it’s certainly an issue Scott Arniel and the Jets will be working to tackle during the offseason — as the team’s new head coach pointed out in his press conference on Monday — a look at the four teams left chasing Lord Stanley’s mug provides plenty of evidence a strong 82 games can be essential to a lengthy playoff run.

History has its share of Cinderella stories and wild-card wildness, but few of those squads wear the collective glass slipper at the end of the dance.

This season will be no different.

Of the final four, three are division winners — hailing from the Central (Dallas Stars), Metropolitan (New York Rangers) and Atlantic (Florida Panthers) — while the Edmonton Oilers finished second in the Pacific but were the hottest team in the entire league once Kris Knoblauch replaced Jay Woodcroft behind the bench in mid-November.

This is certainly not meant to excuse the Jets for failing to reach the second round of the playoffs — again.

It’s just a simple reminder that sustained success is something that can be a benefit.

During the 2023-24 regular season, the Jets were the best team in the NHL in five-on-five situations, owing to a sound defensive structure that led to them capturing the Jennings Trophy (fewest goals against).

Winnipeg was, however, 15th in goals for per game.

Maintaining the defensive commitment while finding a way to score more is among the priorities for Arniel and his staff.

“When you go to our style of play, we’ve got something that our players are believing in,” Arniel said Monday. “They realize how we play right now, five-on-five, is something that will garner success.”

“When you go to our style of play, we’ve got something that our players are believing in.”–Head coach Scott Arniel

Cleaning up the special teams is something Arniel will be digging into as well, as the Jets slipped to 22nd on the power play and 21st on the penalty kill.

As the recently retired Rick Bowness said on several occasions during the course of the season, if the Jets had been able to finish in the middle of the pack on special teams instead of in the bottom third, the group probably would have finished first in the Central and could have pushed the Rangers in the battle for the Presidents’ Trophy.

It’s important to remember that for all the strides the Jets have taken, that doesn’t mean they simply show up in September for training camp and go through the motions until the next chance to slay the playoff dragon arrives.

They’ll need to raise the standard that was set just to punch their ticket, and as Arniel pointed out, the expectations aren’t just to be a playoff team.

The integration of young players will be an important part of that process, no matter what happens to the roster in terms of trades or free agency.

Since the NHL is known as a copycat league, here are some other valuable lessons the Jets can learn from the teams that will still be playing as the calendar turns to June:

Rangers

The Jets are familiar with several players on this roster, including a pair of Jets’ first-rounders in Jacob Trouba and Jack Roslovic and former captain Blake Wheeler, who suffered a gruesome leg injury back in February.

The Rangers were bounced from the playoffs in seven games in the opening round last spring by the New Jersey Devils (after holding a 2-0 series lead). They replaced head coach Gerard Gallant in the offseason with Peter Laviolette and went on to lead the NHL in points.

How did they handle the NHL trade deadline this season?

The Rangers focused mostly on forwards, acquiring centre Alex Wennberg from the Seattle Kraken to bolster their depth on the third line and Roslovic from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Roslovic has bounced between the top line and the third line. They also traded for depth blue-liner Chad Ruhwedel, who has yet to see action in the playoffs.

How did they handle free agency last summer?

There weren’t a ton of high-profile moves made, as the Rangers had a core group they believed in that already included Igor Sheterkin, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Victor Trocheck, Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere, the first overall pick in 2020 who had a breakout season and carried that into the postseason.

Wheeler was brought in after the Jets bought him out, and backup goalie Jonathan Quick ended up being an excellent addition, especially when Shesterkin went through a rocky patch during the regular season. Defenceman Erik Gustafsson was signed to help the second power-play unit and play on the third pairing.

What key decisions are looming?

New deals are required for restricted free agents Braden Schneider (the former Brandon Wheat Kings captain), fellow D-man Ryan Lindgren and forward Kaapo Kakko, the second overall pick from the 2019 NHL Draft. Wheeler, Wennberg and Roslovic are among the six pending unrestricted free agents.

What 2024 NHL Draft picks are available to them?

As of this moment, the Rangers have picks in the first, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds.

Lesson learned?

The Jets won’t likely have access to a pair of top two picks like the Rangers received during their speedy rebuild, but upgrading the defence is something they can mimic. Finding someone with a championship pedigree, such as Barclay Goodrow, could also strengthen the fourth line.

 

Panthers

The Panthers are led by former Jets head coach Paul Maurice and they’re in the final four for a second consecutive spring here.

They’ve also invested heavily in their core and GM Bill Zito has done a great job of augmenting the homegrown talent — captain Aleksander Barkov and defenceman Aaron Ekblad — with brilliant trades for the likes of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, Brandon Montour, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart, a waiver claim of defenceman Gustav Forsling and smart free agent additions like Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues.

Centre Anton Lundell, who was chosen 12th overall in 2020, is making an important contribution up front as a two-way player. The Panthers defend well, play extremely hard and have ample depth at all positions.

How did they handle the NHL trade deadline this season?

The highest profile addition was right-winger and 2019 Stanley Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko from the Ottawa Senators, while the club also acquired Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo. He’s been in and out of the lineup but brings veteran leadership and experience.

How did they handle free agency last summer?

The Panthers hit with lower-budget free agent deals for blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson after he was bought out by the Vancouver Canucks and inked a four-year deal with Rodrigues, who was with the Avalanche on a one-year pact the previous season.

They also found value with former Jets Kevin Stenlund (who had 13 goals this season) and Dmitry Kulikov, who is on the third pairing and still providing steady puck movement and physical play.

What key decisions are looming?

The aforementioned core will remain strong and south Florida remains an appealing destination for free agents, but the Panthers could look decidedly different next season as they have 11 pending UFAs — including Reinhart (who set career highs with 57 goals and 94 points in 82 games) and Montour.

They also need a new contract for Lundell, a pending RFA who doesn’t yet have arbitration rights.

What 2024 NHL Draft picks are available to them?

The Panthers currently will select in the third round, twice in the fifth round and once in the sixth round.

Lesson learned?

The Jets are on the right track when it comes to forward depth, but to take the next level, they’ll need to find someone like Verhaeghe in free agency or a trade — someone on a winning team ready to jump from a secondary role to being a primary scorer.

 

Stars

The Stars put the disappointment of losing to the Golden Knights in the 2023 Western Conference final behind them by getting back there this spring. They’re currently viewed as the gold standard when it comes to working in young players to an established veteran core. They’re probably the deepest team in the NHL and this is their best chance to win the Stanley Cup since 1999.

How did they handle the NHL trade deadline this season?

The Stars made a preemptive strike in acquiring defenceman Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames and he’s turned out to be one of the most impactful players picked up at or around the NHL trade deadline.

General manager Jim Nill addressed a clear area of need and Tanev, who began his professional career with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, has turned out to be a grand slam.

How did they handle free agency last summer?

Landing centre Matt Duchene on a team-friendly one-year deal worth $3 million, after he was bought out by the Nashville Predators, was a savvy move that paid big dividends.

Signing depth D-man Alex Petrovic — who spent most of the season with Texas of the AHL — was a shrewd move as he’s currently on the third pairing with the big club during the playoffs.

What key decisions are looming?

Finding a way to have pending UFAs Duchene and Tanev stick around is a top priority for the Stars, while forwards Craig Smith and Pavelski, physical D-man Jani Hakanpaa and goalie Scott Wedgewood are among the others whose contracts are about to expire and would be free to sign elsewhere.

The list of RFAs includes defenceman Thomas Harley (who had a breakout season), Nils Lundkvist, and forwards Sam Steel and Ty Dellandrea.

What 2024 NHL Draft picks are available to them?

The Stars hold picks in the first, fifth and seventh rounds.

Lesson learned?

Young and impactful players such as Johnston, Logan Stankoven and Harley are more the exception to the rule, but enhanced roles for Cole Perfetti, Brad Lambert and Ville Heinola could be on the horizon in Winnipeg.

Josh Morrissey already has a similar impact to Miro Heiskanen, but augmenting the D corps to include someone such as Tanev would help prepare the group for a deeper post-season run.

 

Oilers

After getting bounced in six games in the second round by the Golden Knights last spring, the Oilers are back in the Western Conference final for the second time in three years.

They continue to be led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and one of the most important developments this season was the emergence of blue-liner Evan Bouchard as an offensive force.

Ken Holland’s trade for Mattias Ekholm prior to the 2023 NHL trade deadline was a brilliant move.

How did they handle the NHL trade deadline this season?

They moved a first-rounder and conditional fifth (that could become a fourth if the Oilers win the Stanley Cup) to the Anaheim Ducks for centre Adam Henrique and fourth-line forward Sam Carrick.

How did they handle free agency last summer?

Already a cap-ceiling team, the Oilers signed forward Connor Brown to a one-year deal and while he didn’t produce much offensively, he’s a contributor on a penalty kill that is the best in the NHL in the postseason.

Signing Winnipegger Calvin Pickard to be the No. 3 goalie on the organizational depth chart also worked out well, especially after Jack Campbell was sent to the minors. Pickard has started two playoff games this spring after posting strong numbers in 23 regular-season appearances.

What key decisions are looming?

The Oilers have a list of 10 pending UFAs, including forwards Warren Foegle, Corey Perry, Henrqiue, Carrick former Jet Sam Gagner, defencemen Vincent Desharnais and Pickard. The pending RFA of note is speedy forward Dylan Holloway, who has found his form during these playoffs.

What 2024 NHL Draft picks are available to them?

The Oilers are scheduled to pick in the second and fifth rounds, twice in the sixth and twice in the seventh.

Lesson learned?

The commitment to defending better is an ongoing battle, even when dramatic steps forward are taken, and an average penalty kill in the regular season can be transformed into a difference-making element during the postseason.

While few teams have star power like the Oilers, bringing in the right pieces around those guys to help with the secondary scoring is essential.

 

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X: @WiebesWorld