After a scoreless start to the season that stretched 17 games, Cole Koepke is finally making his presence felt in Winnipeg - and it couldn’t come at a better time for a Jets team hungry for secondary scoring.
The 27-year-old winger has found the back of the net in back-to-back games and now has three goals in his last nine outings. It’s a welcome surge from a player who came into the year as more of a depth piece but is now carving out a real role on the Jets' fourth line.
Koepke was part of a free-agent class brought in by GM Kevin Cheveldayoff this past offseason, alongside veterans Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist, and Tanner Pearson. While Toews and Pearson have had their moments, Nyquist’s tenure in Winnipeg hasn’t panned out as expected.
The 36-year-old has yet to score in 32 games and has just eight assists to his name. He’s also spent much of January watching from the press box as a healthy scratch - a move that’s opened the door for Koepke to step in and make his case.
And make it he has.
For a team that’s leaned heavily on its top line for offense, Koepke’s emergence adds a much-needed spark further down the lineup. The Jets’ bottom nine has struggled to generate consistent offense for much of the season, but there’s been a noticeable uptick since the holiday break. It hasn’t been smooth sailing - they’ve followed productive stretches with dry spells, including a recent three-game stretch where they managed just three goals - but the signs of life are there.
Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils was a perfect example. Koepke and Nino Niederreiter both chipped in on the scoresheet, helping the Jets secure a much-needed road win. That kind of depth scoring is exactly what head coach Scott Arniel has been pushing for all season.
“We need the secondary scoring. We’ve talked about it all year long,” Arniel said after the win.
“We’ve gone through stretches where we haven’t been getting it. If you’re going to win on the road, everybody’s got to contribute, and that was kind of what we got from everyone.”
Koepke is doing more than just scoring, too. He’s bringing speed, grit, and a relentless forecheck - a Brandon Tanev-type energy that’s tough to miss. He’s up to five goals in his last 19 games, and while that might not leap off the page, it’s exactly the kind of contribution Winnipeg needs from its bottom-six forwards.
Players like Cole Perfetti (4 goals, 11 assists), Adam Lowry (4 goals, 8 assists), Vladislav Namestnikov (7 goals, 6 assists), and Niederreiter (8 goals, 11 assists) have all had quieter seasons offensively. So when someone like Koepke starts to catch fire, it can shift the dynamic of the entire lineup.
Arniel has taken notice.
“When he puts his speed on display like that, he’s a hard player to defend,” the coach said. “We’re trying to get him in positions where we can get him in foot races against people.
He’s also a good penalty killer. He closes quickly and does a good job that way.
There’s a role to play, and he recognizes it and does the best he can.”
That role - energy, pressure, and timely offense - is one Koepke seems to be embracing. After putting up a career-best 10 goals and 17 points in 73 games with the Bruins last season, the Jets were hoping he could bring some of that production north. It took a while, but it looks like it’s finally starting to click.
Drafted 183rd overall by Tampa Bay back in 2018, Koepke’s NHL journey hasn’t been a straight line. But now with 135 games under his belt and 31 career points (16 goals, 15 assists), he’s proving he can be more than just a fill-in. He’s becoming a difference-maker - and for a Jets team with playoff aspirations, that’s no small thing.