What Scott Arniel Can Change with the Jets, and What He Needs to Build Upon…
Scott Arniel has been instrumental in reshaping the team’s play. Now, with a solid base, he’s tasked with elevating the Winnipeg Jets to the next level.
Arniel is entering his third year of a transformation that began with Rick Bowness’s hiring in summer 2022.
Bowness, who recently retired, achieved several successes. He unified the team, unlocked Josh Morrissey’s potential, and turned the Jets into a defensive powerhouse. However, his tenure had drawbacks, including playoff struggles, a lack of trust in young players like Cole Perfetti, and inconsistent line decisions.
Arniel aims to improve the team by “5-to-10%”—a goal set by Morrissey at the season’s end and adopted by the organization.
The Changes
Some changes have already started. Assistant Brad Lauer, who managed the power play, was let go due to inconsistency. Winnipeg’s power play, with its talented roster, underperformed at 18.8% last season. Arniel’s responsibility, the penalty kill, also declined, from 7th (82.4%) two years ago to 29th (77.1%) this past season, worsening to 62.5% in the playoffs.
Examining the top playoff teams shows the importance of special teams: Edmonton led with a 93.2% kill and a 32.6% power play. Florida, the Rangers, and Dallas also excelled in these areas.
Trust the Kids
The Jets have long preached a draft-and-develop policy but have been slow to deploy young talent. Bowness was hesitant to use younger players. Ville Heinola missed a spot due to injury, and despite performing well in the AHL, wasn’t utilized in Winnipeg. Perfetti, despite being seventh in team scoring and displaying strong defensive play, was demoted to the fourth line and played only one playoff game.
With Heinola losing waiver-exempt status and promising performances from Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov, Arniel needs to leverage young talent for both performance and salary cap relief.
Invest in Analytics
Bowness claimed to consider underlying numbers, but his actions often suggested otherwise, such as his use of the ineffective Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Gabriel Vilardi line.
Arniel plans to hold a summit on analytics, inspired by Colorado’s strategic adjustments against Winnipeg. The Avs used data to tweak their forecheck and outcoached Winnipeg. Arniel aims to use analytics to form effective lines in training camp.
To Build Upon
Their Talented Offence
Winnipeg’s defense helped them win the William M. Jennings Award, allowing a league-low 199 goals. This was due to both stellar goaltending by Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit, and the team’s ability to protect high-danger areas.
The Jets’ offense, scoring 259 goals (15th overall), excelled at 5-on-5 with 179 goals (7th). However, they need to improve their power play and create more high-danger chances, especially with a physical presence in front of the net.
The Relationships
Arniel emphasized the importance of strong relationships with players. “If they don’t believe in me and they don’t think I believe in them, we’re not off to a very good start,” he stated.
Bowness excelled at getting the most out of players by placing them in roles where they could succeed. Arniel aims to continue this approach, transitioning from an assistant to a head coach while maintaining supportive relationships with his players. He has shifted from the “old-school bark” to a teaching mentality, which is crucial in today’s NHL.
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