Winnipeg Jets observations after four days (and two games) of training camp

Between four days of camp, two preseason games, and a plethora of news, there was a lot to take away from the opening weekend of Winnipeg Jets training camp.

Brayden Yager impressed in his first preseason action

Brayden Yager made his Winnipeg Jets preseason debut on Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild, and the 19-year-old centre flashed his skill set at both ends of the ice.

“When he gets that puck, you see that he can make plays,” Jets Head Coach Scott Arniel said about Yager postgame. “I think it was on Barron’s chance, he made that nice play there down the wall and got that look, but he’s a heady kid, and you can see the skill set is there.”

Yager will likely return to the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL for his fifth season with the club. Despite playing four years of junior, he is ineligible for the AHL this season, as he fell just one game short of the 25-game minimum in 2020-21, playing 24 games. He’s coming off of an incredible 95-point season and 27-point playoff run and has all the tools to dominate this season once again. Scott Arniel was especially impressed with his play away from the puck, which has been a clear emphasis for the younger players throughout camp thus far.

“For any young player, college or junior guy, the biggest thing, and I said it this morning as well, is when you don’t have the puck. What do you do next? I thought he did a good job. He had some down-low coverage plays that he had assignments on that I thought he did pretty well from learning from the last two days in practice.”

Ville Heinola’s Injury adds to the blue-line competition

On Friday afternoon, Ville Heinola was not skating with his regular group alongside Colin Miller. After the skate, Arniel revealed that he has an infection in his surgically-repaired ankle that he injured in preseason last season, and the injury “isn’t day to day.”

Because Heinola’s timeline is unknown as of right now, this opens up an extra roster spot competition on the blueline. Earlier in camp, Arniel expressed interest in carrying a 22-man roster (13F, 7D, 2G), and if Heinola begins the season injured, they can now carry another defenceman.

Haydn Fleury and Dylan Coghlan are the likely candidates for the seventh defenceman position and could even push for third-pairing minutes. Both defenders played in a preseason game this weekend, but it’s too early to tell who may have the advantage.

One advantage that Fleury (left) has over Coghlan (right) is handedness. I’m unsure whether or not the Jets coaching staff will put any stock into it, but with the right side of the blue-line solidified going into the season with DeMelo, Pionk, and Miller, having the sixth and seventh defenders be left-handed could open the door for a rotation in that spot throughout the season.

Nikita Chibrikov’s physicality has been evident

The regular suspects were bringing the physicality to training camp this week. Adam Lowry, Tyrel Bauer, and… Nikita Chibrikov? The 5-foot-9, 160 pound winger knocked over Kieran Walton (6-foot-6, 211 pounds) with a solid hit during a skate over the weekend. When it came to his play on Saturday night in the first preseason game, Chibrikov was listed as a positive performer by a good chunk of Jets fans on social media, and it’s hard to disagree with them.

Chibrikov brings a style of play that is suitable for any role. He can play a physical, forechecking, grinder style of hockey that would be best suited alongside Lowry or Nino Niederretier on a checking line. He can also bring a skill-first style of play, as his shot, hands, and vision are all assets that he can bring to a scoring line.

The second-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft recorded 47 points in 70 games for the Manitoba Moose last season, and while it’s unlikely he cracks the Jets roster out of camp, it’s clear that he has taken a step forward this offseason and is primed for a solid season.

Rapid fire takeaways

• Brad Lambert looked the part in game one

On Saturday night, Brad Lambert didn’t make any highlight-reel plays that we know he is capable of making, but he was still able to generate a handful of scoring chances, show off his speed, and lead the Jets in individual expected goals percentage (80.87%) in 14:01 of even-strength ice time. That ixG% number shows that his play with and without the puck was strong, which has been an emphasis throughout camp for Arniel’s coaching staff. I wrote more about the challenge ahead of Lambert here.

• Dylan Anhorn will be a solid Moose option

Dylan Anhorn appeared in only two games for the Moose last season after wrapping up his season at St. Cloud State. Through the first few days of camp and his preseason appearance against the Oilers on Sunday, it’s clear that Anhorn is a great skater and has good puck skills. He will be a solid option on the Manitoba Moose blue-line this season, and he’s sure to boost their transition numbers and offensive point totals from defencemen.

• Mason Shaw and Kevin He have their effort levels cranked up to 10

I couldn’t go a full training camp takeaways article without mentioning Mason Shaw and Kevin He, who have their effort levels set on ‘high’ at all times. Shaw split last season between the Minnesota Wild and the Iowa Wild, and Kevin He was just drafted by Winnipeg in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. During scrimmages, they are constantly involved in board battles, hustling to every loose puck, and these pesky traits translated to their games over the weekend in a big way.