View from the Booth - Sept. 23, 2021

Optimism usually abounds at this time of year in great quantities right across the National Hockey League.
Here on the wide-open prairies, that anticipation is perhaps different than in any of the previous 10 campaigns the Winnipeg Jets have opened.
This time around there's not only excitement but it's accompanied with expectation.
So as the Jets begin their 11th training camp today at Bell MTS Iceplex we offer a brief overview of what the areas of interest will be and some of the personnel questions that will ultimately be answered over the next few weeks.

Who plays with Scheifele?
At this point we know Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, Paul Stastny, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele will make up the Top 6 forward group on the team. But how do those players configure into two lines? Recently, there has been some scuttlebutt that following last season where he was essentially a point-per-game producer, Ehlers is ready for a prominent role on the right side of the top line. If so, then Connor, Scheifele and Ehlers would be one trio and Stastny, Dubois and Wheeler the other. Moreover, providing Dubois - who the Jets adamantly want to play centre long term - with a veteran on each flank might be an excellent way to truly kick-start his Winnipeg career and accentuate his growth as a potential prominent NHL player at that position. Both Stastny and Wheeler can provide mentorship to the 23-year-old while, at the same time, the threesome most certainly will offer a complementary offensive punch to Scheifele's line. For Dubois, the organization values his assets and, since he's on an expiring RFA contract this season, that kind of leadership presented around him would appear to be sage for both he and the team. However, based on the versatility of the players discussed, the line combinations could start one way in training camp and end another by the conclusion of the preseason schedule, although watching how it unfolds will certainly be of intrigue between now and mid-October.
COPP, LOWRY & WHO?
After RW Mason Appleton was snatched away by the expansion Seattle Kraken, there were immediate queries about who would be his replacement alongside Andrew Copp and Adam Lowry? At this point training camp should provide us with a competition to better understand which player(s) might be the best fit on a line that can check and contribute offensively. As such, look for newcomer Riley Nash and former first-round draft pick Kristian Vesalainen to both audition in that spot. Nash, a veteran of 11 professional seasons, would certainly provide a solid fit on Lowry's eastside, especially being a right-handed shot. But based on the development steps that Vesalainen took last season and his ability to play his opposite side, it might be a great landing zone for the 22-year-old to find full-time work in the NHL and continue his growth path.
FOURTH LINE MAKEUP?
Another crucial area where training camp and the exhibition schedule will serve to deliver some important answers is with the team's fourth line. The departures of Nate Thompson, Mathieu Perreault and Trevor Lewis leave the club with three important holes to fill in the bottom six. Should it be decided that Kristian Vesalainen is the best fit on Lowry's line, then look for Riley Nash to either anchor the fourth line as its centre or play a significant role on the right wing. Hence, players like Jansen Harkins, Dominic Toninato, David Gustafsson, Kristian Reichel, C.J. Suess, Evgeny Svechnikov and Luke Johnson are all in the mix for spots on the fourth line. Harkins is of additional interest as it's been suggested he might even have a chance to centre that trio since that is his natural position and he's started to prove himself as a full-time NHLer over the last two seasons. To me, this is the most fascinating area of competition since the fourth line played a major role to the Jets success last season. As such, can a different group provide the same level of effectiveness this season? In addition to those earning a fourth line job there will also be the opportunity to push into a penalty kill role as well since two of the three departures were a significant part of the Jets' PK stable last season and those minutes need to be accounted for too.
DILLON & SCHMIDT PAIR UP WITH?
There is little doubt both Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt will make an acute impact on the Jets blue line this season. Where they fit and with whom is still unsure entering camp. But rest assured in good time their positions and partners will be determined in short order especially since the preseason gets rolling on Sunday against the Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. 680 CJOB/Power 97). The safe assumption would be that Dillon would partner on the left side with Neal Pionk and Schmidt on the right with Josh Morrissey. Those presumptive combinations are simply based on where they've played previously in their careers and where Winnipeg believes they can be best utilized to move the puck, defend and compliment their partner.
THE SEVENTH MAN IS?
If the two top defensive pairings are Dillon-Pionk and Morrissey-Schmidt, then Dylan DeMelo for sure factors in on the right side of the third pairing. If so, who does he play with? Based on last season and with the Jets looking to ice a bigger and more veteran lineup, then Nathan Beaulieu and Logan Stanley become the two options to partner with DeMelo on the left side. Beaulieu is completely healthy after surgery last season and Stanley is coming off a breakthrough season that forced the Jets to protect him in the expansion draft. Therefore, there will be competition for the left-side spot on the third pairing and the question of which player then becomes the seventh defenceman best answered just prior to the regular season starting in Anaheim on Oct. 13. As mentioned, there are options and the salary cap may come into play in determining who actually cracks the 23-man roster and which of the seven blue liners pulls press box duty to start the season.
IS COMRIE READY TO BACKUP?
Without much fanfare, the Jets declared this off-season that goaltender Eric Comrie would serve as Connor Hellebuyck's back up for the upcoming campaign. After six seasons within the organization where he's delivered stellar netminding with the AHL's Manitoba Moose and considered to be one of the most likeable guys in the organization, he'll deservedly get his chance to add-on to his six NHL games of experience over his career as a full-time NHLer this winter. Of course, he has big shoes to fill since Laurent Brossoit pulled Yeoman duty in that role the last three seasons, playing an average of 18 games per season. Handling that load shouldn't be a problem for Comrie since he's already Manitoba's all-time winningest goaltender. But should an injury occur or any type of struggle this training camp - or beyond - what would be the contingency plan? Training camp should give us a glimpse as to the "next man up" within the organization behind Hellebuyck and Comrie. This means that Mikhail Berdin, Arvid Holm and Philippe Desrosiers are on the clock.