To say that Gabriel Vilardi is on fire would be an understatement, as he has spent the past two weeks lighting up teams across the NHL on one of the most dangerous forward lines that the Winnipeg Jets have iced this year.
The truth is, Vilardi has gone through an abundance of adversity throughout his young career, and his latest six-week absence with an MCL sprain was no different.
In a recent one-on-one interview with Vilardi, we discussed the injuries that have plagued him throughout his career, and how he has overcome them to get to this point of success.
Gabriel Vilardi Lost Key Development Seasons Due to Back Injury
The 24-year-old forward lost two critical years of development with the Los Angeles Kings due to a nagging back injury, which greatly affected his career path. Vilardi said: “You can always look back and say ‘what if’ and ‘what could’ve been’, and I don’t really think like that too much anymore. I just try and stay in the moment.”
“You can’t really say you’re ever going to ‘catch up’, you can try and make up for lost time, but at the end of the day, I lost two years where guys are improving and getting better. Would I say my career is in a different place had I not had that? Yeah, I absolutely believe I wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in right now.”
Now with 15 points in 14 games, and 12 points coming in his last five, Vilardi has been able to put the injury concerns behind him and contribute some eye-popping numbers to the Jets’ forward core. Vilardi was the 11th overall selection of the 2017 NHL draft, and he began to show that potential last season when he posted 41 points in 63 games for the Kings.
Vilardi has put the back injury out of his mind, saying: “It’s behind me now, I don’t really think about it in this aspect as much, but if I did think about it, and looking back, yeah it’s unfortunate that I had to spend those two years not developing.”
Vilardi Is Playing the Best Hockey of His Career in a New Role
Vilardi has overcome back injuries, and most recently an MCL sprain, and is now undoubtedly playing the best hockey of his career on Winnipeg’s top line. “I haven’t really been given this so far in my career, so It’s something that you’ve gotta take advantage of, moments like this, and when the opportunity presents itself you gotta be prepared.”
Having played in LA, and as a younger player, Vilardi found himself in a middle-six role for the majority of his time, and it’s safe to say that he has seized the top-line opportunity here in Winnipeg. The trio of Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, and Vilardi have been dynamic in every sense of the word, and have led the way offensively for a forward group missing their top goal scorer in Kyle Connor.
Related: Jets’ Top Line of Ehlers, Scheifele, & Vilardi Dominating
“Different play styles for sure, Ehlers is really fast and deceptive with his skating, and Scheifele is more of the smart guy, protects pucks, always makes the right play out there, and I think I’m good down low with protecting pucks, so I think it’s a little bit of everything and I think we do compliment each other pretty well.”
That line has shown instant chemistry, and the analytics match the eye test. Money Puck’s tracking has them at a 60.8 percent expected goals percentage (xG%), a 64.1 percent Corsi %, all while outscoring their opponents 11-2. Not only have they been the best line combination the Jets have put together this season, but they have also been one of the top forward lines across the entire NHL.
Gabriel Vilardi Now Has Added Motivation After MCL Sprain
Vilardi has worked tirelessly to rehab from his injury from earlier in the season, an MCL sprain that caused him to miss six weeks of the season. Over this time, the Jets were playing great, in a battle for the #1 spot in the Central Division on many nights. “To see the team doing good it definitely motivates you more, but at the end of the day you’ve also gotta find your own motivation”
The injury occurred in Winnipeg’s third game of the season, against Vilardi’s former team, the LA Kings. When he came back from injury, he admitted there were a few games where he didn’t feel right, whether that be from conditioning or timing. Once he got promoted to the top line after the Connor injury, the fireworks followed. Vilardi said “It was probably that LA game when things started clicking, and we’re scoring, and when you score obviously you’ve got more confidence.”
The LA game he mentioned was one of Winnipeg’s most impressive wins of the season. On the second night of a back-to-back, they found themselves down 2-0 early in the game, before ripping off five unanswered goals against one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Vilardi broke out offensively in this contest, scoring a goal and adding three assists in the win.
Winnipeg Jets Look to Keep Rolling Out of Holiday Break
The Winnipeg Jets continue to roll through the NHL’s best, and Vilardi has been a huge factor in that. They are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, with wins over the Kings, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, and Colorado Avalanche twice. They are firmly establishing themselves as contenders in the Western Conference, and they will look to keep their hot streak alive coming out of the break.
They resume their season against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, December 27th, before taking on the Minnesota Wild in a home-and-home series on Dec 30 and Dec 31. Vilardi and the Jets’ top line will look to continue their offensive dominance against a few Central Division opponents.
