Gustafsson determined to crack Jets lineup

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This article was published 24/09/2022 (1079 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He’s had just a small taste of the NHL so far. Now David Gustafsson is hungry for more, hoping a fresh set of eyes behind the bench and a few open spots at the table will serve him well.

“I want to make the team, I want to play in the NHL. That’s been my dream, always. That’s the mindset I have this year,” Gustafsson, 22, said following Saturday’s skate at Bell MTS Iceplex.

So far, so good. The Swedish centre has spent the first three days of training camp on a line with veteran wingers Sam Gagner and Dominic Toninato, who are both virtual locks to be included on the 23-man roster when the puck drops on the new season Oct. 14.

After skating in 22 games with the Jets during his rookie year of 2019-20, including scoring his first big-league goal, Gustafsson has only appeared in six NHL games since. A mid-season callup was quickly curtailed by injury last year, limiting him to just two contests

“I finally thought that I had a good chance of really making the team and having a good season. You know, injuries come in this sport and it’s something you’ve got to deal with. I think that’s something that made me stronger,” he said.

Opportunity is once again knocking, perhaps louder than ever under new head coach Rick Bowness.

“There are some new spots open and it’s a battle out there every day for who wants to take it,” said Gustafsson.

“If I want a place I’ve got to show the coaches I earn it more than some other guys. This coach hasn’t seen me play before so I’ve got to go out there and show what kind of player I am. These first few days it’s really important. He gets the first look of you and it tends to stick for a while. I try to do the best I can these first days to show him I’m a player that wants to play up here.

It’s a similar situation for another young forward in Kristian Reichel, who made his NHL debut last year and appeared in 13 games with the Jets (one goal, one assist) before injury knocked him out of the lineup.

“It’s a dream when you’re a kid to play in the NHL. So it was great. But then when you kind of have a bad injury, everything I had been working on the games before was just out,” said Reichel, an undrafted 24-year-old who turned an AHL deal with the Manitoba Moose into a two-way contract with the Jets.

“It’s kind of tough to be on the side watching the guys when you want to help and you know you can bring something to the table. It was tough on my mindset, but I think I got stronger in my head now. It was tough to swallow, but at the end of the day it moves me forward.”

There’s not a lot of mystery when it comes to the majority of Winnipeg’s forward group. Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Blake Wheeler and Cole Perfetti look to be fixtures in the top six. Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton will be third-line staples, with Jansen Harkins and Morgan Barron both options to join them. Once Gagner and Toninato are factored in, there’s likely just a couple spots up for grabs.

Gustafsson and Reichel are certainly in the mix, along with depth forwards such as Kevin Stenlund, Saku Maenalanen, Mikey Eyssimont and Jeff Malott.

“When you see opportunity and you see there are a couple spots to battle for, I think everybody is really pushing for it,” said Reichel. “I think everybody is pushing hard and working really hard from day one to make an impression. Everybody has a clean sheet here and wants to make an impression on the coaches.”

Bowness has repeatedly stressed that young players will be given every chance to succeed under his watch, and that will include plenty of looks during the slate of six preseason games which begin Sunday evening in Edmonton.

One player Bowness doesn’t need to see a ton of to know what he’s getting is Gagner, a veteran of 967 regular-season games who recently signed a free agent deal with the Jets. The 33-year-old is being looked at to replace some of the experience lost when Paul Stastny went to Carolina this past summer.

“We’ve heard nothing but great things about Sam and his character, his work ethic, and being a good teammate. That’s what it’s all about,” said Bowness.

“The benefits for any young player to watch a guy like Sam, how calm he is with the puck, he doesn’t throw it away, finds the quiet ice and makes plays, they all should benefit from that.”

Gagner is still getting his feet wet here in Winnipeg but has liked what he’s seen so far.

“It’s a good vibe in here. I think guys are attentive to the instruction that’s happening. There’s a lot of teaching going on and I think the coaches have been really detailed with it and gotten their message across really well,” he said.

Gagner, who was the sixth-overall pick in 2007 and broke into the league as an 18-year-old, also had plenty of praise for Gustafsson.

“I think he’s a smart player and I think anytime you get a chance to play with guys like that, it’s always enjoyable,” he said.

“For guys to be in the right position and guys to make plays, he seems to have that so that’s exciting. I think the fact that I’ve been around and I think I can help him in a lot of areas so I’m looking forward to doing that, to building some chemistry, and to seeing where we can take it.”

Gagner is the master of versatility, going from an offensive-minded, top-six and power play specialist early in his career to a more defensive, checking forward who can help on the penalty kill in more recent years.

“I’ve had to learn during the course of my career how to be effective in those situations and I think I’m a player that can play in any situation and find a way to have success,” he said. “Whatever is asked of me, I’m ready to do it and excited for it.”

Bowness said it’s that kind of approach which all young players should be trying emulate.

“You come in as an 18-year-old and you think you’re going to play forever, you’re going to be a top player forever. It’s a tough league. The guys that don’t make an adjustment to their games, don’t last very long. They don’t play 1,000 games like Sam is going to do,” said Bowness.

“He’s adjusted. He’s accepted the role. He’s smart enough to figure out how to survive in the league, he’ll play 1,000 games. You make adjustments to your game the older you get. Your role changes and you can accept it or fight it. If you fight it, you’re not going to keep playing. So give him credit for that.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg