The Winnipeg Jets are ready for takeoff.
The marathon 82-game season has begun.
Questions surround the Jets and the future of their team. Head Coach Rick Bowness is hunting for a different outcome in the 2023-24 season.
It all begins on the road when the Jets travel to Calgary to face the Flames in their season opener on Wednesday night.
2022-23 By The Numbers
2022-23 Regular Season Record: 46-33-3, 95 points
2022-23 Season Finish: Fourth in the Central Division, eliminated 4-1 in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Additions: Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, Laurent Brossoit, Jeffrey Viel, Collin Delia
Subtractions: Pierre-Luc Dubois, Blake Wheeler, Saku Maenalanen, Kevin Stenlund, Sam Gagner, Karson Kulman, David Rittich, Jansen Harkins
2023-24 Projected Numbers
2023-24 Regular Season Record Projected: 49-28-5, 103 points
2023-24 Season Finish: Third in the Central Divison, eliminated 4-3 in round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Key Things To Watch This Season
The Winnipeg Jets have a tall task ahead of them for the season, and they need to live up to head coach Rick Bowness’ expectations. This isn’t one of the main storylines to watch. However, it is certainly a point worth considering this year.
1. The New Kids Are Better Than Originally Thought & Brossoit Is Back
I had to combine two into one here. The Winnipeg Jets have picked up Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari from the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade. Kevin Cheveldayoff also picked up Jeffrey Viel, Collin Delia, and Laurent Brossoit via free agency. With the preseason being an excellent opportunity to see how these new acquisitions fit on our roster, the new kids really showed that they are better than originally anticipated.
Related: Pierre-Luc Dubois Traded to Los Angeles Kings
Each newly acquired player has shown great chemistry with multiple other Jets players, which is always a good sign. The Jets have a lot of potential ahead of them for the 2023-24 season, and the question now remains: will they be able to capitalize on this potential for a full season?
2. Who Wins The Jets 2C Position?
The Winnipeg Jets have a large role to fill: their second-line center position. This was previously held by Pierre-Luc Dubois. However, with Dubois now in Los Angeles, the Winnipeg Jets must find a player who can play in this second-line center position. Cole Perfetti and Gabriel Vilardi are the early candidates for this role. With the season being a marathon and not a sprint, Winnipeg hopes they can find an internal long-term solution for a second-line centerman.
The 2023-24 Winnipeg Jets Roster
I won’t go into great detail on this as I just previously wrote an article on the Jets 2023-24 roster being set. However, there are a couple of things to point out when looking at the roster.
Related: Winnipeg Jets News & Roster Moves 10/08/2023
Promoted To The NHL Level
The Winnipeg Jets recently gave a couple of players some opportunities to win NHL roster spots. Those two players are Declan Chisholm and Ville Heinola. Both made the cut for the Winnipeg Jets roster and had impressive preseason showings, which impressed head coach Rick Bowness enough to stay at the NHL level.
However, Heinola suffered a fractured ankle in the final preseason game, which will keep him out for 8-12 weeks. Going forward, Heinola will look to recover from this injury, find his way back to the NHL level, and keep his momentum going strong.
Related: Untimely Injury Keeps Jets Prospect Out 8-12 Weeks
Projected Lineup
Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Gabriel Vilardi
Nikolaj Ehlers – Cole Perfetti – Nino Niederreiter
Alex Iafallo – Adam Lowry – Mason Appleton
Morgan Barron – Rasmus Kupari – Vladislav Namestnikov
David Gustafsson (Extra)
Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo
Dylan Samberg – Neal Pionk
Brendan Dillon – Nate Schmidt
Logan Stanley – Declan Chisholm (Extras)
Ville Heinola (injured)
Connor Hellebuyck & Laurent Brossoit
The Connor Bedard Tour Begins (20) – Jacko Media
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