Record - 39-32-11 (89 points), 6th in the Central Division
Goals For: 252 (17th in the NHL), Goals Against: 257 (20th in the NHL)
Leading Goal Scorer - Kyle Connor (47)
Leading Point Scorer - Kyle Connor (93)
It was quite an odd season for the 2022 Winnipeg Jets team. Having made the postseason in each of the previous four campaigns, their expectations were to once again to compete for a Stanley Cup. Finishing outside of the playoff picture was not something they had in mind. But, like everything else in life, not all of it goes according to plan. Sometimes a curveball or two comes your way and you need to adjust. Sometimes the adjustment may set you back a little bit, but in the long run you end up moving forward.
I think that's what former HC Paul Maurice was thinking when he removed himself as coach completely out of the blue just 29 games into the season. After a very successful tenure with the Jets, Maurice stepped down from the team's head coaching position. Having spend 9 seasons there, making playoffs in 5 of them, he believed he had done all he'd can with the team and that it was the time for them to have a new voice in the locker room. Being one of the winningest, most experienced coaches in NHL history, he was probably correct in his thinking. The Jets proceeded to announce Dave Lowry, Maurice's assistant coach, to run things for the remainder of the season. Lowry posted a winning record, but in the end, the team decided to hire someone with more head coaching experience in Rick Bowness. Bowness' first head coaching job was with Winnipeg back in 1989, and now he'll get another chance to coach this team with a recent run of success in Dallas under his belt. Many were curious as to why they went with Bowness instead of going for a stronger candidate in Barry Trotz. But when Trotz made it known after he'd been let go by the Islanders that he'd be taking a year off from coaching, the Jets went with, in their eyes, the next best option. The thing that has me vacillating about this hiring is that Bowness' approach to the game isn't that different than Maurice's. Their coaching styles may be different, but they both implement a defense first system and rely heavily on top 6 scoring for offense. Was part of the logic behind GM Kevin Cheveldayoff's decision to play the same brand of hockey, but with a different person leading the charge? I'm not sold on this hiring just yet, but I'm not ruling it out as the right move either.
Bowness wasted no time in making headlines since being hired. Just recently, he stripped long time captain Blake Wheeler of the "C". Players were shocked at the decision, but I think they realize it's a fair one given where Blake is in his career as well as having a changing of the guard behind the bench. Wheeler is now on the wrong side of the 30 and seems like he's lost a step the past couple of seasons. He will still be a leader on the team, but there's something about taking away a guy's captaincy that can really wake a team up. They're a tightly knit group so I'm not worried about this decision breaking up the locker. Still, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
There's some takeaways from last year, both positive and negative, that the Jets will need to carry over or rid of completely from their game in 2023. First off, Kyle Connor is awesome. He's been so good for them in his first few years as a pro, but exploded last year with a near 50 goal season. He's an elite goal scorer that can put the puck in the net every which way possible. They need to feed him the puck any way they can. When they aren't dishing him passes, the rest of their stellar top 6 needs to be ready to score when they get it, because Connor is just as good of a playmaker as he is a scorer. The players that fill out the rest of their top two lines are also major impact players. Mark Scheifele is a beast. Pierre Luc-Dubois is a stud. Nikolaj Ehlers is a point per game caliber talent when healthy. Wheeler still has gas left in the tank, and can find his old form again with some added motivation. They have plenty of star talent, it's the additional offensive support that they need.
There's a level of consistency this team has to find again at all ends of the ice, both at home and on the road. They were either putting up a ton of goals, or giving up a ton. There wasn't much in between. They were solid on home ice, but not as good as the first few years under Paul Maurice. They struggled on the road more-so than they have in recent seasons. Inconsistency on a game to game basis doesn't win you championships in this league. What also doesn't win you cups is poor special teams. The Jets finished 17th on the man advantage and 29th on the PK. The PK can't get much worse and I do think will improve under Bowness. Their powerplay, on the other hand, shouldn't be worse than 10th or 12th with the talent they have on it. There's too many stars on that first unit for them to have a less than average powerplay.
Next up is goaltending. Connor Hellebuyck is hands down one of the best in the business, but in my opinion, he's been overworked. He's led the league in games played for goalies in 3 of the past 5 years. He's led the league in most shots faced and most saves each of the past 4 years. He's led the league in goals against in 3 of the last 4 years. This guy desperately needs help. He's still in his prime at just 29 years old, but not only is he playing a lot of games, he's got a massive workload each time he steps in the crease. The Jets signed David Rittich, a more than capable backup goalie, to a one year deal this offseason to take some of the weight off of the Vezina winner's shoulders. I really hope it works out for Hellebuyck's sake. I'm not sure how much more of this he can take.
Something the team didn't address, but should have is their depth on defense. Like I mentioned, Hellebuyck has had to stop the most pucks each of the past four seasons. Under a defensive minded coach, that is simply unacceptable. They were already stretched thin on defense before, but when Dustin Byfuglien suddenly retired before the 2020 season, it stretched them out even more. They need to find a new identity on the backend to make themselves a contending team again. I was surprised they weren't more active this offseason with some clear gaps in their lineup. Nevertheless, they will still be putting a solid team on the ice opening night.
Where does this leave them now that we're inching closer to the first game? Well, they are more than capable of making the playoffs, that's for sure. It comes down to a few things though. Improving on special teams and defense are first and foremost. Josh Morrisey can't do it all by himself on the backend. Someone in that defensive lineup needs to step up and start making a difference for them. Next is secondary scoring. There has been a massive gap in production over the years between their top 6 forwards and their bottom 6. Now that Andrew Copp and Stastny are gone, who is going to step up and make up for their contributions. There is also a vacancy in their second line that needs to be filled. Is Cole Perfetti undoubtedly locked in as their second line winger? He's still so young with next to no NHL experience, but I think he's ready for this opportunity. If he can produce on a line with Dubois and Ehlers, then this team can really make noise in the Central Division. It is a big if though.
The Jets are merely a bubble team in my eyes. Plenty of talent yes, but not quite deep enough to make believe they are a top three team in the Central Division. Luckily, I don't believe the Western Conference is as loaded as the East so there will be plenty of teams competing for those two Wild Card spots. The Jets will be one of them. Beating everyone else out and making playoffs would be a much added Bowness.
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