Just after the Winnipeg Jets appointed Scott Arniel as head coach of the team, the press conference revealed a bit of change coming to the Winnipeg Jets bench in the 2024-25 season.
Staff Updates
Brad Lauer, the infamous power play coach of the Winnipeg Jets, found himself mutually parting ways with the team. After a less-than-ideal power play for the Winnipeg Jets in the 2023-24 season that placed 22nd in the league and finalized as 18.8%, Lauer will not be back and new bench boss Scott Arniel will have a couple of vacancies to fill. The Jets recognize they have too much firepower up front to have that bad of a power play.
Assistant coach Marty Johnston and goalie coach Wade Flaherty will return behind the bench for the Winnipeg Jets in the 2024-25 season.
The Winnipeg Jets now have to fill an associate coach and assistant coach position on the bench. There have been whispers that Todd Nelson could be filling the associate coach position but no whispers about the assistant coach vacancy up until this point.
In the latest 32 Thoughts: The Podcast by Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek, they mentioned that former Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason interviewed well. One has to wonder if Evason would also be a candidate for the associate or assistant coach position should he run out of time to secure a head coach job.
Player Updates
In the latest 32 Thoughts: The Podcast by Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek, the two talked about unrestricted free agent (UFA) Sean Monahan and his tenure with the Winnipeg Jets. Friedman mentions that the Jets are trying to keep Monahan and there’s a sense the team wants to keep the player, but the dominoes that are to fall should he stay is the bigger question now.
With Arniel’s hiring, there seems to be a seismic shift in how the younger talent is viewed currently. There have been some mentions that Cole Perfetti might be inclined to stay put in Winnipeg and use the chance, but nothing remains set in stone until Perfetti has a contract.
Entering the Trenches of the Off-Season
While the Conference Finals are in full swing, 28 teams are entering the trenches and dead zones of the 2024 off-season. As of now, the Winnipeg Jets haven’t had a ton of news other than the coaching hiring and other minor things.
The “trenches” will, hopefully, keep you posted on the Winnipeg Jets this off-season.
