As kids head back to school and the air becomes more crisp and cool in the morning, summer is coming to an abrupt end. Fortunately, there is some relief on the way in the form of Winnipeg Jets hockey. The Filipino Journal is back to cover the Jets and get you up to speed for the upcoming season. There are new faces, new foes, and a whole lot of excitement in store for all you die-hard Jets fans.
Winnipeg will be welcoming some new opponents to the MTS Centre. The Jets will move from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference and play out of the Central Division. Some new rivalries will be formed as teams such as the defending Stanley Cup champions Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild will be battling it out for division supremacy. Playing out of the West will also allow the Jets to renew some old Canadian rivalries with the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and the Calgary Flames.
The summer for the Winnipeg Jets front office was a busy one as they were able to lock up Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler to long term deals solidifying their top line with captain Andrew Ladd. Defenseman Zach Bogosian also inked a deal for seven years. The Jets did lose forward Alexander Burmistrov to the KHL in Russia but managed to trade for former 30 goal scorer Devin Setoguchi from the Minnesota Wild.
Back to school is the theme around this time of year and some new Jets prospects will try to make the grade and crack coach Claude Noel’s roster. Centre Mark Scheifele seems poised to finally make the team after spending the past two years in the OHL with the Barrie Colts. Last year’s first round pick Jacob Trouba could round out the defensive core while 2013 first round selection Josh Morrissey will be learning the ropes in training camp.
There will be plenty to watch out for this upcoming NHL season as the Winnipeg Jets will try to make the transition to the Western Conference. If the team can stay healthy, get some solid goaltending from Ondrej Pavelec, and possibly a breakout season from Evander Kane, the Jets may finally make the playoffs for the first time since moving from Atlanta.
Filipino Journal Prediction: Jets finish 8th in Western Conference
