The imitation game

The Winnipeg Jets are about to get a first-hand look at the gold standard.

As the Carolina Hurricanes roll into town for their one and only appearance of this regular season, the matchup will serve as a friendly reminder of the road the Jets are striving for.

Even with a number of injuries to key cogs — including Winnipegger Seth Jarvis, captain Jordan Staal and winger Taylor Hall — Rod Brind’Amour’s squad isn’t exactly sleepwalking through the early part of the schedule.

Nor are there any signs of a Stanley Cup hangover with the Hurricanes posting a 6-1-1 record that includes outscoring opponents to the tune of 31-19 thus far.

The Hurricanes play a relentless style that includes a ferocious forecheck. Dogged determination for the Jets in the matchup isn’t an optional trait, it’s a flat-out necessity.

“It’s a copycat league,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel said on Friday afternoon. “Everybody right now — and we’re the same way — is talking about the forecheck and how heavy that you need to be on the opposition. And that’s what Carolina is known for.”

Since training camp opened last month, the Jets have spoken regularly about the need to play faster and to apply pressure in all three zones.

Part of that plan is a nod to the Hurricanes, who finally broke through and won 16 games last spring after a number of heartbreaking exits in previous post-seasons. And when Arniel speaks about the off-season homework, it’s clear the Jets coaching staff spent ample time watching the way the Hurricanes attack the opposition.

Accruing playoff scar tissue is something the Jets’ core group is familiar with, though they’ve only made one trip to the Western Conference final and that came nearly a decade ago. But the Jets have upped the ante when it comes to aggressive play this season, particularly at the offensive and defensive blue lines, and the results have clearly contributed to the 4-1-2 start.

“We’ve done a much better job of staying connected through the neutral zone,” Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi said earlier this week.

One of the other things the Hurricanes do well — which puts plenty of pressure on the defensive structure of the opponent — is pile up a high volume of shots on goal. And they’re not afraid to shoot from anywhere. Often those sharp-angled shots create chaos in and around the crease, forcing forwards and defencemen alike to have their respective heads on a swivel.

“They create the pressure by putting pucks into the blue paint and getting numbers around there,” said Arniel. “It’s not like they’re looking for the tick-tack-toe pretty plays.”

That makes limiting the number of quality looks and rebound chances imperative for the Jets on Saturday.

Another lesson that will be reinforced to the Jets against the Hurricanes is the importance of finding a bit more balance with the offensive attack.

Carolina is a four-line team that isn’t reliant on the top line, though Sebastian Aho (six goals, 13 points) and Andrei Svechnikov (six goals, 11 points) are bursting with confidence after an exhilarating Stanley Cup run.

The return of former Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers is also an interesting subplot, especially after the best regular season of his career (71 points in 82 games) was followed up by a strong playoff (eight goals and 18 points in 18 games) that ended with him raising Lord Stanley’s mug.

“I mean, (he) comes as advertised when you’re (playing) against him. A lot of speed, a lot of skill,” said Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo. “Honestly, one of the most creative players probably in the whole league and a guy that can make something out of nothing.”

This Hurricanes visit has a bit more juice to it than usual as they’ve been one of the teams around the league to show interest in acquiring goalie Connor Hellebuyck in a potential trade.

To this point, general managers Kevin Cheveldayoff and Eric Tulsky haven’t found a price point that is suitable for both parties, but one would imagine the lines of communication will remain open — which is not a surprise when you consider the Hurricanes have the cap space available to add Hellebuyck.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are without restricted free agent D-man Alexander Nikishin, who remains without a contract and is a candidate to be traded.

Carolina did recall top forward prospect Bradley Nadeau on Friday and he’s expected to play on a line with Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake against the Jets. Nadeau, 21, was chosen 30th overall in 2023 and is a skilled winger who has racked up 60 goals and 115 points in 120 games in the American Hockey League with the Chicago Wolves.

One would imagine he’s part of the package the Jets would like back in return for Hellebuyck, though other pieces would also be required. And while the boost to the offence would be helpful, the Jets already boast rookie centre Viggo Bjorck, who has played with tenacity through the first seven games of his NHL career.

Bjorck was on the ice for the overtime winner on Thursday, but continues to draw praise for his defensive play as he continues the pursuit of his first NHL point.

“When he doesn’t have the puck, he’s still responsible and recognizes what he has to do,” said Arniel. “That’s all part of that learning curve. It’s a tougher league and it’s all new to him, but once he finds it, it will hopefully come in waves.”

Arniel was encouraged by the amount of offensive zone time created by the line of Bjorck, Vilardi and Nino Niederreiter — who had seven shots on goal and four hits on Thursday.

“Are you creating the opportunities or are you going out and just taking up space? They were spending a lot of time in the opposition end. That’s how I look at it,” said Arniel. “They’re doing the right things. Other than putting the puck in the net, they’re real close.”

The Jets aren’t expected to make any lineup changes on Saturday, other than having backup Clay Stevenson make his third start of the season.

Arniel said that forward Vladislav Namestnikov (lower body) has been downgraded to week-to-week, which means a forward is likely going to be recalled from the Manitoba Moose before the Jets head out for a two-game road trip against Central Division opponents.

The top candidates at this point are Noah Gregor, if looking for a more experienced option for a fourth-line role, or Brayden Yager, who nearly made the Jets lineup after a strong training camp.

Speaking of injured players, Elias Salomonsson (shoulder) continues to progress. The defenceman could potentially suit up for the Moose on Sunday against the Texas Stars in another step closer to playing his first NHL game of the season.

winnipegfreepress.com/kenwiebe