PODCAST: Rosén up to challenge with Jets

WINNIPEG – It didn’t take Isak Rosén long to get on the scoresheet as a member of the Winnipeg Jets.

In his third game since being traded from Buffalo, Rosén went to the front of the net against the New York Rangers and redirected a shot from Jacob Bryson behind Igor Shesterkin. Of course, Bryson also came over in the trade with the Sabres, so it was fitting that the two newest Jets combined on the goal.

“Really good feeling,” said Rosén after the game.

“I told him (Bryson) before the game that we can’t wait any longer. We have to score now. It was good we got one.”

Jets head coach Scott Arniel is pleased from what he has seen from the Swedish forward so far.

“Yeah, we’re seeing more and more of it. I think he’s getting more comfortable being on a new team, with his linemates and his teammates,” said Arniel on Thursday night.

“I thought today he looked really comfortable. Even in the third, you could see, he had the puck, went on a couple rushes and kind of pulled away with his speed. Hopefully he continues to build off that.”

Rosén has had the benefit of having two veterans with him in his short time with the Jets, Gustav Nyquist and Jonathan Toews.

“Yeah, it's been huge. I think, just how they talk on the ice with me, and for every play, let me know what we're doing. And yeah, on the bench too, we can talk about the previous shift,” said Rosén on the Ground Control podcast.

“And yeah, just made it a lot easier to settle in. And I think, yeah, of course, really cool to play with those guys too. Really good players.”

Rosén has made goal scoring look pretty easy at the American Hockey League level since he was drafted 14^th overall in 2021. The 22-year-old scored 87 times in 231 games with the Rochester Americans, including 25 goals in just 37 games this season. Rosén felt he was playing his best hockey as a pro before the trade.

“Yeah, yeah, for sure, I think just never really, just not go too many games without scoring a goal. That was new to me. You always get those every year where you have, like, maybe 10 games, maybe, or five or seven, where you don't score,” said Rosén.

“But, you know, this year just been, if I didn't score one game, then I’d score next game, and yeah, just keep rolling like that.”

Because the Sabres had been rebuilding for a long time, there was a log jam in the organization of skilled forwards and that blocked Rosén from getting long looks at the NHL level. Previous to coming over to North America, Rosén played for Leksands IF in the SHL. The Stockholm product had to remain patient for his opportunity which now will be in Winnipeg.

Yeah, I think I came over (to North America) really young. So, like, first year was learning year for me, and the year prior to that, I didn't play much hockey because I was on SHL team, and yeah, just five minutes a game, something like that,” said Rosén.

“So, it was a year for me that I needed to play a lot and just learn a lot, I think. And then second year, played a really good hockey and yeah, just I got a chance. And yeah, it was a lot of skill in Buffalo. So, I understand it's hard to get a chance, maybe sometimes, but just trying to be patient, because I feel like I always do what I can do and have confidence in that.”