Scott Arniel was appointed the new head coach of the Winnipeg Jets after Rick Bowness announced his retirement. While fans look forward to the start of Arniel’s tenure, they have some expectations going into the season. Here are a few things Arniel needs to do to ensure the Winnipeg Jets’ success this season.
Let the Youth Play
Despite the Jets relying heavily on their drafted players to fill their lineup spots, the team has a hard time giving their younger players a chance to make it to the big leagues. Cole Perfetti’s lack of ice time was a massive source of contention as fans say he’s more than proven his ability to be a key offensive player. He only played one game during the playoffs, and Bowness was quick to bench him if something went wrong.
Arniel insists that the NHL’s youth are “vital” to team success, especially in the salary cap era. To simultaneously improve the team and win fan favour, Arniel should try increasing Perfetti’s ice time and role on the team. In 71 games, Perfetti recorded 38 points with an average time on ice of 13:35, and if Arniel allows him to reach somewhere between 15 and 17 minutes a night, his stats will only go up.
Arniel may also finally be the one to give Ville Heinola a roster spot. He was poised to make the starting lineup last year until he was sidelined with a fractured ankle, but assuming he can stay healthy, Heinola may be a key piece in filling the hole left in the defense by Brenden Dillon’s absence. In 41 games with the Manitoba Moose, Heinola record 27 points, and if he can translate that success to the NHL, the Jets will be in good shape. Arniel also has several other prospects to work with, such as Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov, who both made their NHL debuts last season. If the youth are the future of the Jets’ success, then it’s time for Arniel to start fulfilling the organization’s vision and allow them more playing time in the NHL.
Fix the Special Teams
The Jets’ special teams last year were rough to say the least. The team’s penalty kill ranked 21st in the league with a 77.1% success rate, and the team’s power play percentage ranked 22nd in the league at 18.8%. Scott Arniel has two new assistant coaches behind him, Davis Payne and Dean Chynoweth, who will hopefully find a way to sort things out. Payne was briefly the head coach of the St. Louis Blues for part of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons before serving as the assistant coach to the Los Angeles Kings where he won the Stanley Cup in 2014. He will be responsible for bolstering the power play.
Related: Get to Know Winnipeg Jets’ New Assistant Coaches Payne & Chynoweth
Chynoweth served under Sheldon Keefe in Toronto for the past three seasons as his assistant coach, and he previously held the same role with the New York Islanders and the Carolina Hurricanes. He will be responsible for sorting out the penalty kill. With former assistant coach Brad Lauer out of the picture and new blood behind the bench, Arniel has a solid coaching staff to work with to hopefully bring the Jets’ special teams up to par. If the Jets are able to maintain their offensive and defensive capabilities from last season, they could be a serious contender with their special teams nailed down.
Utilize Analytics Effectively
Alongside the new coaches, Arniel committed to hosting an analytics summit in hopes of improving the way the team uses statistics. If the summit goes well, hopefully team success will follow. Fans were highly critical of Bowness’ style of coaching that reflected more ‘old school’ values as opposed to basing decisions on an analytical perspective. As The Athletic‘s Murat Ates pointed out, “Bowness has said many times that he coaches by feel, trusting his gut, and that he’s happier to lose coaching his way than changing his approach to the game” (from “The Winnipeg Jets’ Game 4 bets didn’t pay off. Now their season could go bust,” The Athletic, April 28th, 2024). While Bowness is a highly-respected figure in the hockey community, it was hard for fans to feel confident that his strategy was working out after the Jets lost in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche.
Analytics aren’t everything, but they’re a good way to spot weaknesses for both the opponent’s lineup and internally. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar emphasized the role of analytics in the team’s 4-1 series win over the Jets during the 2023-24 playoffs. Some of the most competitive teams, like the Avalanche, have highly-involved analytics teams, and the fact Arniel is committed to incorporating it more going forward is a good sign of the team’s direction. Assuming all goes well this summer, Arniel may be able to spot some of the key weaknesses the Jets have and push them in the right direction for the upcoming season. If he can plug those holes, the team will likely find much more success in the long run.
