With training camp for the 2026-27 season drawing near, Winnipeg’s rink scene is already starting to look like something much closer to business time.
On Monday at the Hockey for All Centre, a sizeable group of Jets players and prospects hit the ice for an informal skate, getting some work in before the official start of camp. New Jets skills coach Matt Larke helped run the session, with Manitoba Moose goalie coach Drew MacIntyre also involved.
The skate included two of Winnipeg’s offseason additions. Defenceman Mario Ferraro, who signed with the Jets during the summer, was out there, as was Jack St. Ivany, who arrived in a trade.
The ice was packed with young talent too. Nikita Chibrikov, Brad Lambert, Danny Zhilkin, Garrett Brown, Fabian Wagner, Colby Barlow, Jacob Julien, Alfons Freij, Brayden Yager and 2026 eighth-overall pick Viggo Björck all took part, along with college free-agent signee Lucas Wahlin.
Björck turned heads during one drill when he set up fellow Swede Isak Rosén for a goal. His passing stood out enough to draw notice right away.
Perhaps the biggest development from the skate, though, was Elias Salomonsson. The Jets defenceman wore a yellow non-contact jersey but still moved well and took shots during drills before leaving as the group shifted into 3-on-3 work.
Salomonsson had shoulder surgery in April and was initially given a recovery timeline of five to six months. Last month, he was reported to be tracking toward a return around training camp or the start of the season.
Not everyone from last season’s roster was present. The regulars not spotted Monday were Alex Iafallo, Nino Niederreiter, Gabriel Vilardi, Adam Lowry, Morgan Barron, Josh Morrissey and Connor Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck’s absence is the one that will naturally get the most attention because of his trade request, but he was not the only veteran missing from the session.
A few more offseason additions were also absent, including Stuart Skinner, Noah Gregor and Henry Thrun. With Skinner out, the goalies on the ice were Jets prospects Domenic DiVincentiis and Thomas Milic.
It was still an encouraging sign of where things stand. These are only informal skates, and more players will keep filtering back into Winnipeg over the next few days. Even so, when this many familiar and new faces are already out there together, camp doesn’t feel far off at all.
More player interviews are set for the next two days, with additional coverage to follow throughout the week.
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For the Jets, that same squeeze can reverberate in an entirely different way. Winnipeg has been looking at the market for Connor Hellebuyck, but finding a partner is not as simple as putting an elite goalie out there and waiting for the calls, because trade capital is tight and no-trade clauses continue to narrow the field. The Ducks negotiations with Gauthier may be about one player, but the ripples from a big-money extension could shape how aggressive other teams can be when their own roster decisions come due. [Read more 🡒]
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For Jets fans, the real intrigue is in what kind of return could come back if the deal gets serious. A trade for a goalie of Hellebuycks stature would likely take more than a simple one-for-one swap, and the Devils have the kind of young talent and draft capital that could make the talks interesting in a hurry. With Luke Evangelista also sounding eager to jump in and help New Jerseys top-six forward group after his own move, the Devils are clearly operating with urgency, and Winnipeg has every reason to keep watching how far that push goes. [Read more 🡒]