The much-talked-about “coaching summit” has finally taken place, and Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel seems overjoyed with how it all shook out. Recently, the Jets’ bench boss spoke to Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun (from ‘Jets’ head coach Scott Arniel confident after team’s summit wraps,’ Winnipeg Sun, Aug. 9, 2024) about the staff’s findings and some thoughts on specific players, and his words provided a lot of encouragement in terms of following through on his initial thoughts from his opening press conference a few months ago.
His thoughts on how to implement data and what Cole Perfetti means to the future of the team stood out, and it’s worth diving a little deeper into given how the season is right around the corner. With training camp beginning in less than a month, it’s time to really break down what Arniel’s thoughts could mean in terms of on-ice success.
Perfetti a Big Part of Jets’ Future
Perfetti’s contract status has been looming over the back half of the Jets’ offseason, and while he may not have a deal as of yet, it certainly doesn’t seem like an issue going forward. After plenty of discourse about his usage, that seems to all be in the past as now the focus seems to be on securing the young forward to a long-term deal and allowing him to break out this season.
When talking about Perfetti, Arniel emphasized the opportunity the 22-year-old forward has to make an impact in a top-six role. “He’s excited about the chance we are going to be giving him,” Arniel said to The Winnipeg Sun.
With the departure of Sean Monahan, the Jets’ top six has once again entered a state of flux, something that is also influenced by Arniel’s currently-unknown deployment philosophy. Sure, he filled in at times when now-retired head coach Rick Bowness had to step away from the team, but that was more to maintain the course. Now, Arniel can follow his own lead and it will be interesting to see how he rolls out his forwards.
It sounds as if Arniel and Perfetti have had an open line of communication this summer, which can only be a good thing given the instability of Perfetti’s play time last season. With the extended scratches in both the regular season and playoffs along with his late-game benchings, there were plenty of doubts about a long-term deal. Now, with the clear attempt from Arniel to better that relationship, perhaps that isn’t as far-fetched as many thought after the season.
Analytics a Focus Going Forward
While Arniel had mentioned it in his introductory press conference, the Jets’ new dedication to understanding the data was something many are still waiting to see the plan for. With this coaching summit now completed, he had more to say about what fans could expect in terms of the usage of analytics in the team’s game plans.
Related: Scott Arniel’s Keys to Success in First Season as Winnipeg Jets Head Coach
“[We’re] Just really getting a handle on all of the information that’s out there that we were and weren’t using, and trying to streamline it more than anything,” Arniel explained to The Winnipeg Sun. He continued later, saying “It’s just become another part of coaching.”
It’s complete truth, and most successful NHL teams have a diverse group of data scientists and analysts that help break down the numbers into a way that can be turned into a strategy focused on on-ice results. The Jets focusing on improving that part of their planning process is a way they can try and modernize the approach, something they haven’t exactly put into place at the same rate as other teams.
Importance of Arniel’s Comments
One of the biggest takeaways from what Arniel had to say was that he clearly has a vision in his head of what he wants the team to look like in terms of both deployment and strategy. He didn’t show his hand as to the specifics of it, but reading between the lines really seemed to show his dedication to identifying some of the areas that need to be addressed while also trying to be that bridge between player and team.
There will obviously be similarities between last season’s Jets that finished fourth in the NHL, but it’s clear that the intent is to figure out what went wrong. With two new assistant coaches, Dean Chynoweth and Davis Payne, there’s going to be differences in philosophy and frankly that should be welcomed with open arms.
The coaching summit the Jets hosted could be one of the most important things they’ve done in recent years, but that’s only the case if they use what they’ve found in a way to address the problems that have plagued them time and time again. Only then will this new staff be able to claim that they’re looking at things differently because until then, many fear that it’s just another kick at the can with a staff that consists of similar views. It’s up to them to change it.
