Will Cole Perfetti be the heir apparent for the Winnipeg Jets second line centre role

Back on October 6th, 2020 after the Winnipeg Jets had drafted Cole Perfetti in the first round (10th overall) the Whitby, Ontario product playing in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit was asked where he preferred to play. At the time he said he prefers to play centre but would do whatever the organization needed from him.

With the OHL season in limbo for the 2020-21 campaign he would join the Manitoba Moose for a modified AHL season that began with a January training camp. He told us on January 25th of 2021 that he had played just as much on the wing as he had at centre so he was comfortable in either position. The next day former Moose bench boss Pascal Vincent declared that Perfetti would start at centre for Manitoba.

As he learned, the pro game is quite a bit different than what he experienced in junior. It takes time to adjust but that’s just what he did and you could see the game got easier for him and his game evolved from a perimeter game to one that saw him go to the tough areas to try to produce for his club. After a few months it was clear he was making those adjustments as he and his coach discussed following a game in mid April.

And you could see it in his play:

He had a terrific first year pro in the AHL playing 32 games scoring nine goals and adding 17 assists for 26 points. He actually left the Moose before the AHL concluded as he joined Team Canada at the World Championship where he would win gold.

When he made the jump up to the NHL he was put on the wing. This wasn’t unexpected as it is quite the jump from the AHL to the NHL and not many make it directly to playing at centre.

The issue for the Jets is that since the premature retirement of Bryan Little due to injury back in 2019 the organization has been searching for an heir apparent to handle the second line centre role. Once upon a time it was thought that 2015 first round draft pick Jack Roslovic could find himself up the middle but the team chose to play him on the wing when he graduated to the NHL despite how effective he had been as a centre in the AHL. He was then dealt as part of the Patrik Laine deal. Speaking of that trade Pierre-Luc Dubois, who was finally seen as the 2C (or 1A/1B if you will) replacement for Little would only be in Winnipeg for three seasons before he was dealt this summer.

Back in June GM Kevin Cheveldayoff tipped his hand when speaking about the opportunity in the top 9:

“It will give an opportunity to a player like Cole Perfetti to grow. He was a top 10 draft pick for us as a centreman and this is an opportunity.” 

Just two days ago this was reiterated by head coach Rick Bowness who indicated the team drafted Perfetti as a centre and that’s where he’ll get his shot.

On Thursday morning top Jets centre Mark Scheifele was full of praise for Perfetti saying:

“Me and Cole are pretty close. I’m sure there are going to be conversations down the line about things. He’s an awesome kid. He works so hard. I spent a good amount of time with him this summer. He changed trainers, worked with Matty Nichol and looks amazing on the ice. Put on a lot of muscle, put in a lot of work this summer and I gained a lot of respect for the kid for doing that, making some changes, learning and trying to grow. And I’m there to help him each and every step of the way.”

With all the talk of Perfetti getting his shot at the second line centre role the 2020 1st rounder spent some time at the end of practice working against the much larger Adam Lowry.

Following skate Perfetti was asked about the opportunity to seize the spot as the second line centre of the Winnipeg Jets:

“Yah. It’s exciting. I’m really excited. It’s obviously a big role and a huge part of this team so it’s not going to be easy but it’s going to be exciting. I’m really looking forward to it. Talking to the guys now, working with Lows (Adam Lowry) in the faceoff dot, stuff like that, really just try to learn every little bit from these guys who have played a long time and know the ins and outs of playing centre. I feel comfortable, I’ve played centre pretty much my whole life, up until the last few years here, but I feel comfortable up the middle. I like it. Now it’s just getting used to it at this speed and I think each day in camp it’s going to get a little bit better and better. I felt good today. I’m excited for the opportunity.”

The follow-up question asked him what parts of his skill set are best suited for playing centre?

“I think the one thing that I really enjoy about playing centre and kinda helps my game is being able to have both sides of the ice open. When you’re on the wing you’re stuck on the left side, you can really only go to the middle of the ice or the right side of the ice. The wall’s there so you’re kinda stuck. Where when you get the puck in the middle of the ice you have the left side, you have the right side you can come up the middle. Your options are way more now and you’re able to see the ice a lot more. I kinda think that is one of my stronger parts of my game being able to see the ice instead of now just being limited to seeing the ice like this (looks right), now I’m going to be able to have my peripheral scan both sides and be able to use both sides of the ice. I’m really looking forward to that. That’s the one thing I enjoy playing centre my whole life is being able to go left or right or come right up the middle.

The other thing I like is being able to keep your speed. You’re able to, in the neutral zone gather some speed low and get a lot of opportunity coming to the neutral zone fast. Wingers sometimes you’re stuck on the blueline posted up as an outlet. Where a centre sometimes you’re able to keep your speed and come underneath the play and get the puck, fly into the neutral zone.

Those two things I am really excited for and parts I really like about centre.”

No surprise that his answer reflects a player who has given it plenty of thought although he hasn’t had too much time to think it over. He knew it was a possibility that the Jets would try him out up the middle but he told us that it was in the last week or so “when I really got confirmation that it was going to happen”.

It is expected Perfetti will be paired with veteran wingers Nikolaj Ehlers and Nino Niederreiter to start the season as he gets his chance to establish himself as the 2C of the present and future for the Jets.