Puck drops on training camp Storylines to follow as Jets take first step on long road to Stanley Cup By: Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe Posted: 4:29 PM CDT Tuesday, Sep. 16, 2025

Stanley Cups aren’t won in September. But this is the time of year when championship dreams take shape and good habits are built — the kind teams hope will lead to the ultimate celebration nine months down the road.

The Winnipeg Jets believe they have as good a shot as anyone. And why not?

Now entering their 15th season of the 2.0 era, the Jets are coming off a magical campaign in which they set franchise records for wins (56) and points (116), finishing atop the Central Division, the Western Conference, and the entire NHL after the 82-game marathon.

They’ve (mostly) kept the band together and hope to keep making sweet music — ideally building to a crescendo next spring.

Of course, it’s far too early to start planning the parade. There’s a long road ahead, which begins Wednesday with medicals and testing, followed by the first on-ice sessions Thursday at the Hockey For All Centre.

Along with the excitement and optimism, there’s no shortage of compelling storylines as camp opens. Let’s dig in.

HAPPY HOMECOMING — Before he even played a single game or put on the jersey of his hometown team, Jonathan Toews was the highest-profile unrestricted free agent the Jets have signed in the 2.0 era.

He’s one of the most decorated athletes the province of Manitoba has ever produced and his resumé speaks for itself. For a team trying to build on a Presidents’ Trophy, there’s little-to-no downside in signing a three-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist to the roster.

Toews is a natural-born leader and has the personality that should fit in seamlessly with this Jets’ group and his comeback after a two-year absence from the NHL is a story that many folks around the league are taking great interest in.

It’s fair to say there are a few unknowns for Toews, who is hopeful that he’s left his health issues in the rearview mirror. During the informal skates, it’s clear that the Winnipegger is finding great joy in being back on the ice and getting back in the routine of being an NHL player. He’s put in the work during the recovery process and is in great shape.

Now it’s time to see how his body is going to hold up over the long haul.

In the short term, Toews will work at getting himself back up to speed — both literally and figuratively. Asked last week if he has a number in mind for how many exhibition games he wants to participate in, the former Chicago Blackhawks captain didn’t sound like someone who planned to just dip a toe into the water.

“I won’t say a number, but probably the more the better at this point,” said Toews, noting there’s a week between the final exhibition game and the first game of the regular season.

Provided Toews shows he can do that — and there’s no indication so far that he won’t be able to — handling middle-six minutes is a more than reasonable expectation. Toews has always been someone whose performance improves when the stakes get higher, so that’s something to take into consideration as well when trying to come up with any early evaluations. However, given his will to win, it probably won’t take all that long for Toews to show that he’s still got plenty of gas left in the tank.

CONTRACT TALKS — Trouble in paradise? Top sniper Kyle Connor enters this season without a contract beyond it, and so far, extension talks haven’t produced any results.

There’s no need to smash the panic button just yet, but the chatter will only grow louder with each passing day. That’s life in a hockey-crazed market still feeling a touch of PTSD from how the Nikolaj Ehlers situation unfolded.

If opening night on Oct. 9 arrives with no progress, the whispers could quickly escalate into a full-blown roar.

Connor declined media requests for comment at Monday’s team golf tournament, which is his right. Players aren’t obligated to talk. But come Thursday, when training camp officially opens, he won’t be able to dodge the questions.

What he says will be closely watched.

GOODBYE, FLY — There’s no denying that the departure of Ehlers to the Carolina Hurricanes as an unrestricted free agent leaves the biggest hole to fill on this roster.

Often referred to as a one-man zone entry for his ability to gain the offensive zone with his speed and shiftiness, Ehlers was a highly-productive winger during his decade in the organization. The eight-time 20-goal scorer was a play driver and played a critical role on the top-ranked power play in the NHL last season, handling his move to the pop position in the high slot with aplomb.

Ehlers also dealt with a variety of injuries during his tenure, so the Jets have had ample experience learning what life will be like without him. But replacing his point totals isn’t a one-man job — this task will be tackled by committee as the Jets look for the combination of internal growth from several returnees, coupled with the addition of free agent signings like Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson, Cole Koepke and some of the depth pieces that were brought in to strengthen the organization.

Nyquist figures to get the first crack at filling in for Ehlers on the Jets’ second line and, while he’s not expected to challenge the career-best 75 points he had in 2023-24 with the Nashville Predators, he’s been north of 40 points nine times in his 13 NHL seasons — which is probably why the Jets feel the 28 points he had last season was an outlier.

CAPTAIN’S RECOVERY — Like Connor, captain Adam Lowry is also set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. But in his case, an extension is expected to be little more than a formality, which is why there isn’t nearly as much buzz. The numbers on his next deal will also be considerably smaller than Connor’s.

Still, Lowry will be a focus at camp for another reason — he’ll begin on a separate sheet of ice, apart from his teammates. The 32-year-old is recovering from off-season hip surgery, and his progress will be closely monitored. Will he join the main group at some point?

Lowry has been moving well during informal skates the past two weeks and is targeting a late October or early November return. And, if history is any indication, he’ll do everything in his power to get back into the mix sooner rather than later.

PERFETTI’S PROGRESSION — Cole Perfetti sits at the top of the list when it comes to internal candidates to level up considerably.

He clearly established himself as a top-six player last season and enjoyed a nice step forward, moving from 38 to 50 points while suiting up in all 82 games for the first time in his career. Not only did Perfetti increase his production, he was a consistent contributor and found a way to make an impact even when he didn’t hit the score sheet.

Perfetti’s ice time was up almost two minutes per game and that number could be up once again if he earns a promotion to the Jets’ top power-play unit this fall.

The 10th-overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft also scored the most memorable goal of his young career, bulging the twine with 1.6 seconds to go in regulation time in Game 7 against the St. Louis Blues. Coming through in the clutch was another example of Perfetti’s development last season and he looks primed for the first 20-goal campaign of his career.

Perfetti has an underrated shot and it probably won’t be long before he’s regularly in the 25-goal range and pushing for 30. One of the intriguing storylines in training camp will be watching to see how the chemistry develops between him and Toews.

CENTRES OF ATTENTION — With Lowry sidelined, there’s a temporary vacancy down the middle for the Jets. Mark Scheifele is locked in as the No. 1 centre, while Toews will be given every chance to prove he can handle the No. 2 role. That leaves the question: who fills Lowry’s skates on the third line, traditionally used as a shutdown unit?

The most likely answer is Vlad Namestnikov, who spent much of last season holding down the fort on the second line and brings a steady, two-way presence. Morgan Barron is another option, although he’s currently projected to anchor the fourth line after moving off the wing last year and thriving at centre.

A long-shot candidate could be David Gustafsson, once dubbed by scouts on draft day as “a Swedish Adam Lowry.” Other players with centre experience include Gabe Vilardi and Perfetti, though the coaching staff prefers to keep them on the wing in top-six roles, plus depth skaters such as Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Mason Shaw.

Expect plenty of pre-season experimentation as head coach Scott Arniel works to find the right mix.

BLUE-LINE LOGJAM — It’s important to remember that the Jets aren’t that far removed from a time when organization depth on the blue line was severely tested. And when you’re trying to make a serious playoff run, most teams want to be comfortable going nine or 10 D-men deep.

With that in mind, it makes sense the Jets enter training camp with nine blue-liners on one-way contracts but, as Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff pointed out in July, they aren’t going to be carrying nine D-men on the active roster when the season begins.

Last fall, the Jets found out within the first two days of training camp that both Logan Stanley and Ville Heinola were injured, so having some extra guys around on the back end was important. However, all signs point to the nine returnees being healthy and they’re now joined by Kale Clague and top prospect Elias Salomonsson in the battle for NHL minutes.

Salomonsson had an excellent first season playing in North America, while Clague, a former Brandon Wheat Kings blue-liner, brings 94 games of NHL experience to the organization. While he’s a prime candidate to partner with Salomonsson on the top pairing with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, he’s also a valuable insurance policy who could force his way into NHL action like Dylan Coghlan and Kyle Capobianco did with the Jets during the past several seasons.

It’s a bit surprising that someone like Heinola wasn’t moved during the summer, but now that his ankle injury has been taken care of, this could be a final opportunity to show the Jets — or another team — that he’s ready for full-time duty.

The Jets’ top-two pairings are firmly established with Josh Morrissey-Dylan DeMelo and Dylan Samberg-Neal Pionk ready to log major minutes. Going into camp, Haydn Fleury-Luke Schenn appear to have the inside track, though they’ll face competition for playing time from Stanley, Heinola, Colin Miller and company.

If the Jets can avoid the injury bug, making a trade or subjecting a player or two to waivers looks like the most likely outcome here.

KIDS IN PLAY — Lowry’s absence also opens a spot on the 23-man roster that might not otherwise exist — one that could be filled by a young skater from within the system.

Could Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, Parker Ford, or even one of the first-year pros such as Brayden Yager (a natural centre), Colby Barlow, or Jacob Julien grab it? It’s possible, though all six are expected to spend much of this season with the Manitoba Moose unless injuries or performance issues create an opportunity.

Don’t overlook free-agent signing Samuel Fagemo, either. The 25-year-old has an excellent AHL resumé and could push for NHL minutes. And the organization was surely encouraged by what it saw from third-year pro Danny Zhilkin at this past weekend’s prospects tournament in Montreal.

There’s far less intrigue on the blue line, where Salomonsson is likely destined for more time with the Moose thanks to a serious numbers crunch at his position. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though.

SPECIAL TEAMS — Improving on special teams was one of the top priorities for Arniel and his staff after he took over from Rick Bowness prior to last season. Mission accomplished on both fronts, especially on the power play as the Jets went from the bottom third of the NHL to leading the league for almost the entire season with the man advantage.

Losing Ehlers will be a blow, but the Jets have two guys capable of handling the pop position in Perfetti (who was promoted when Ehlers was out for 13 games last season) and Toews, who has seen top power-play minutes throughout a career that has spanned nearly two decades.

Davis Payne did an outstanding job creating wrinkles for the power play last season and he’ll be tasked with doing so again.

Vilardi is an outstanding distributor and finisher and he will be looking to build on the 12 power-play goals he scored last season.

Nyquist is also guy who should be a threat on the second unit, as he has 48 markers on the man advantage during his career — including 14 with the Detroit Red Wings during the 2014-15 season.

As for the penalty kill, it moved from the bottom third of the NHL to 13th overall under Dean Chynoweth during his first season running the unit and they’ll be trying to improve further. Being without Lowry for the first month or so will make that challenge a bit stiffer — as will the departures of Mason Appleton and Brandon Tanev in free agency — but the Jets believe they have the personnel to be better while shorthanded.

Finding pairs that work well together up front will be one of the under-the-radar things on display during the six exhibition contests.

FORWARD BATTLES — Morrissey said Monday he believes the Jets are as deep as they’ve ever been — and it’s hard to argue with him.

Just look at the forward group: Scheifele, Vilardi, Connor, Toews, Perfetti, Nyquist, Namestnikov, Barron, Nino Niederreiter and Alex Iafallo are all locked in. Add Lowry once he’s off IR, and that’s 11 spots spoken for.

That leaves just two to three openings for as many as 15 candidates: Gustafsson, Anderson-Dolan, Shaw, Lambert, Chibrikov, Ford, Yager, Barlow, Julien, Fagemo, Zhilkin, plus free-agent additions Koepke, Pearson, Phil Di Giuseppe and Walker Duehr.

That, folks, is one heck of a battle. May the best men win.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld