EDINA, Minn. – Nate Schmidt and Dylan Samberg expect things to be very different in Winnipeg this season. But with change also comes the hope that the team will find themselves in a new and good direction.
“Our core group has been together for a long time,” Schmidt said Wednesday as he played in the Da Beauty League, a 4-on-4 hockey league featuring players from Minnesota. “I think we still have the good bits, but it’s nice to see new faces, guys who are great players, and we can’t wait. »
READ: Vilardi wants to keep exploding in Winnipeg | Dubois happy to have the opportunity to be himself with the Kings
The Jets traded forward Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings on June 27 for forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari, along with a second-round pick in the 2024 draft. the New York Rangers on July 1.
Winnipeg signed Vilardi to a two-year, $6.875 million (average annual value of $3.4375 million) contract on July 19 and two-year forward Morgan Barron on July 17, who will receive $1.35 million per campaign.
The Jets (46-33-3) finished fourth in the Central Division last season, helping them advance to the playoffs as the second fourth-team ace. They were eliminated in five games in the first round by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights.
“Losing Vegas in the first round hurt,” said Schmidt, a Golden Knights defenseman from 2017-20. “It also shows our team has potential, especially with our recent additions. I hope that these new ones will motivate our group.
“It was not pleasant to see our season slowly falling apart at the end of the calendar, but at least we managed to be part of the big dance of spring (the playoffs), which shows that we have some answers, but that there is still a lot of work to be done. »
Samberg expects to have a bigger role this season. The 24-year-old defender played in 63 games last year and had two goals and eight points while posting a plus-10 differential. He also appeared in all five playoff games.
The Jets were 34-19-1 on Feb. 14, and they were two points off the top of the Central Division. That Valentine’s Day party turned sour, however, as they finished the season with a 12-14-2 record.
“All teams are going to experience lethargy, but I think this past year has at least taught me how badly you want to avoid that slack happening at the end of the season,” Samberg said. We have some younger guys now, including me, and hopefully we’ll be able to help out this year.
“Change is always positive, and we have a good group of players here. Obviously we will miss the guys who left, and we wish them the best, but I can’t wait to meet the new guys and see what they can accomplish with us. »
2023-07-21 18:22:01
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