The Jets are looking for more offence from just about everywhere, and that message has been front and centre at training camp.
Scott Arniel said Winnipeg’s attack has to get quicker and more layered, with more pucks funneled into dangerous areas and more players joining the play. The club leaned heavily on Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor for much of its scoring last season, and Arniel wants that load spread out.
“Obviously, one of the retrievals-that's the forecheck side of things-but the second part was how quick you attack, how quick you got the puck back,” said Arniel on Sunday.
“But then the other area, where we analytically really need to improve two areas: one is more plays into the slot area, into that area to get those chances, and then it's recover it again and do it again.”
That push isn’t just for the forwards. Arniel wants his defencemen to get involved offensively too, and Dylan Samberg said that’s part of the conversation around his own game.
“For myself, our coaches are always harping about our D men getting up in the rush. I want to take another step in the offensive role of things.”
Still, Samberg made it clear where his foundation lies.
“That’s the part of my game that is best,” said Samberg.
“If I can shut down other teams’ top lines, then the offence will come from that. Not trying to search for it, just playing steady and whatnot.”
Morgan Barron sees a team that has more to prove after last season’s disappointing finish, even if he’s coming off a career year of his own. For him, the standard is still rising.
“There’s still another level I can get to. I think everybody feels like that,” said Barron.
“You can probably ask Scheif and guys like that who had real career years and were at the top of the league in scoring, and they still feel like they can reach another level. I think you look up and down our lineup and at the end of the day, we missed the playoffs.
So that means everyone can contribute more. There’s nobody that’s going to sit back and be satisfied with the way our season ended.”
Barron also pointed to the energy around camp, where younger players are creating real competition for spots. Brad Lambert, Brayden Yager and Viggo Björck are among the names pushing for opportunities, and Barron said that kind of pressure is good for the room.
“Obviously there’s going to be changes, but I think it’s good to have some young energy and some youth that’s coming in competing for jobs and competing for roles in our lineup,” said Barron.
“It’s nice to see those guys, as they’re figuring out the league you can see big steps they take over the course of a summer and as they get their feet under them.”
The other major adjustment hanging over camp is Manitoba’s time change, which is forcing the Jets to rethink how they handle travel and recovery during the season. Arniel said the club has already spent plenty of time working through the impact on trips east and west, including whether it makes more sense to stay overnight instead of heading straight home.
“It really is. It changes a lot.”
Arniel said the team has discussed the issue with medical staff and players, and the plan will depend on the schedule.
“There are certain places that we don't want to come home or whatever,” said Arniel.
“And if we have two days off, we will. You know, we'll probably come home because we can have the rest day.”
The planning has been ongoing, and Arniel said the staff has already cycled through a long list of versions.
“We’re on our 12th draft of the schedule that we’ve sent out to everybody.”
In Other News...
Canadiens Linked To A Goalie Dream Target At A Steep Price
Connor Hellebuycks name keeps surfacing whenever the Canadiens are discussed as a team looking to upgrade in net, and the interest is easy to understand from Montreals side. If the Jets ever even entertained moving one of the leagues top goaltenders, his contract status alone would make the discussion difficult. He is signed through 2030-31, carries a significant cap hit, and owns a no-movement clause, so any serious talk would have to account for both the dollars and the full control that comes with that kind of deal.
The question for Montreal is whether a swing that big is even necessary when the organization already has promising young goaltenders in Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler. A pursuit of Hellebuyck would not be a simple hockey decision, because a move like that would almost certainly come at a steep price and would force the Canadiens to weigh immediate certainty against long-term flexibility. For the Jets, it is the kind of rumor that only adds more attention to a situation that already feels far more complicated than a standard trade conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Goalie Question Suddenly Has A Massive Win-Now Twist
Connor Hellebuycks name has suddenly become one of the most intriguing ones on the goalie market, and the timing makes the situation especially relevant for teams still sorting out their crease. The Winnipeg Jets netminder has asked to be moved, and reports have linked him to both Edmonton and Montreal if a deal can be reached, turning what might have seemed like a routine offseason rumor into a potential major domino for clubs with ambition and uncertainty in goal.
For the Oilers, the fit is obvious enough to linger. Edmonton has already reshaped its goaltending group, but the position remains unsettled enough that a proven starter would draw immediate attention. No trade talks have been confirmed, and there is still a long way between availability and a real deal, but Hellebuycks status alone has created a win-now wrinkle that could keep Edmonton in the conversation as the market develops. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Camp Is Already Forcing Early Decisions Fans Will Notice
Training camp always has a way of sorting the hopeful from the penciled-in, and the Jets have already begun trimming the edges of their roster as the preseason nears. Winnipeg held media sessions with Dylan Samberg, Morgan Barron and coach Scott Arniel, a reminder that camp is moving from evaluation mode into the part where early decisions start to matter more to everyone watching from the stands.
The next checkpoint comes quickly, with the first exhibition game set against the Colorado Avalanche before a home back-to-back with the Edmonton Oilers the following day. For a team still balancing looks, roles and first impressions, those games will offer the first real clue about which players are pushing to stay in the conversation and which ones are already running out of runway. [Read more 🡒]