By Taylor Landau
We're two games into the Winnipeg Jets 2023-2024 season, and so far it seems there's a lot to be excited about. The team has gone through lots of changes over the off-season, and the first two games looked promising for the new group. With the season just getting started, here are three things I'm looking forward to seeing this year.
1. New Players
One of the Jets' biggest moves during the off-season was the blockbuster Pierre-Luc Dubois trade in June. The Jets sent Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forwards Alex Iafallo, Gabriel Vilardi, Ramus Kupari, and a 2024 second-round pick. The three forwards filled in lots of gaps the team had in their lineup with the absence of players like Blake Wheeler, Sam Gagner, Kevin Stenlund, and Karson Kuhlman.
Vilardi slots into the first line nicely with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, and the three of them already notched eight points after two games. Iafallo works well with Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton on the third line, and he's one of, if not the most, dominant forechecker on the team. Kupari fills a much-needed position by centering the fourth line with Morgan Barron and Vladislav Namestnikov. All three of them plugged holes in the lineup, and it only cost a player who (allegedly) didn't want to stay in Winnipeg anyway.
I'm excited to see how the three new guys contribute to the team this year. They've already made their marks on the team even if the stats don't always show it. The new forwards give the team much more depth than they had previously, and they've all shown to be big improvements to the chemistry and cohesiveness of the team.
2. New Leadership
After having the position open for a little more than a year, the Winnipeg Jets named Adam Lowry as the new captain of the team. Last year, he wore an "A" for the first time with Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey, both of whom will remain alternate captains this year.
Lowry isn't known for being a "star" player on the team, but his skills on the ice have nothing to do with his leadership. Going into his tenth season, Lowry has proven time and time again that he's an effective leader in the clubhouse. He's always one of the first guys to stick up for his teammates, and he's reportedly one of the most respected players by his teammates and coaches. These are the qualities the Jets needed in a captain, and I'm confident Lowry fits the bill.
There are lots of new, young guys on the team this year, and having someone like Lowry to lead by example gives me lots of confidence in the chemistry on this team going forward. While Scheifele and Morrissey aren't necessarily new leaders, they're contributions to the team and leadership experience can only help in the long run. Scheifele, in particular, has already been shown helping out some of the younger guys, like staying on the ice with Cole Perfetti after a recent practice to get some extra work in. I think the new leadership in Lowry combined with some of the seasoned veteran leadership is going to really improve the team dynamic this season, which will hopefully in turn help bring the team to victory.
3. A Dominant Fourth Line
For a lot of teams, the fourth line tends to be a glaring problem. Maybe it's composed of mostly minor-league players, or maybe it's a combination of veteran players at the backend of their careers. I don't think the Winnipeg Jets currently have either of those problems. In fact, I'd argue that their latest fourth-line combo is their strongest in a long time.
Morgan Barron, Rasmus Kupari, and Vladislav Namestnikov currently make up the fourth line, and that alone goes to show the team's immense depth since last season. None of these players are minor leaguers called up to fill in a spot for an injured player; all of them have lots of NHL experience and bring their own strengths to the table.
Barron and Kupari are both fast forwards with lots of grit, and Namestnikov has been described as a "swiss army knife" who plays a tough defensive game. All three of them bring a lot of energy to the game. While they may not be putting up points like the first line every night, they're an effective line that shuts down the other team's offense, and their cohesiveness and chemistry even on the bottom line just reinforces the team's depth. Namestnikov tends to move around the lineup a lot, and Rick Bowness said that can be expected again this season, but until then, the Jets look to have a dominant fourth line on their hands.
What are you looking forward to this season? Let me know in the comments!
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