Jets’ GM and coach are proud of what players accomplished, but want improvements

Winnipeg Jets' Gabriel Vilardi (13), Kyle Connor, left rear, Mark Scheifele, center rear, Neal Pionk (4) and Dylan Samberg, right, celebrate after Scheifele scored against the Dallas Stars in the second period of Game 6 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series in Dallas, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) (Gareth Patterson/AP)

WINNIPEG — When each player met with Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff for season-ending talks this week, they were given verbal pats on their backs.

“The first thing we did was that we complimented them,” Arniel said Wednesday as he and Cheveldayoff held their final media availability.

“We told them how proud we were of the year we had, the things we accomplished as a group. Just the fact that we won the Presidents’ Trophy, that we were consistent for 82 games, all those things that we did.”

The Jets won the trophy with a franchise-record 56 wins and NHL-best 116 points in the regular season, but were eliminated from the playoffs in Game 6 of their second-round series with the Dallas Stars by a 2-1 overtime loss last Saturday.

It was one round better than the previous two seasons, but disappointing for a group that was aiming to hoist the Stanley Cup.

The next steps are something Arniel plans to discuss in-depth with each player during the upcoming two weeks after he gets input from his assistants.

“There’s a lot of things for me that happened over the course of this playoffs that are extreme positives,” Arniel said. “There’s some things again that we’re going to have to grill our group on to get better at, so that when we hit this again next year that we’re better prepared for it to have the outcome fall in our favour.”

Jets captain Adam Lowry is confident players will dig deep to reach another level next season.

“There's a lot of optimism that with another good summer, guys really pushing to get better to work on their game and to find ways to improve, that we can come back next year and put ourselves in a spot to be successful again,” he said.

“Put ourselves in a spot to go on another playoff run and hopefully this one ends in late June instead of late May."

Arniel, who’s up for the Jack Adams Trophy for the league’s top head coach, just finished his first year as Winnipeg’s bench boss. He was associate coach the previous two seasons to now-retired Rick Bowness.

“One of the things that came through in our exit meetings in talking to some of the players, there was the accountability that (Arniel) was able to hold the players to,” Cheveldayoff said.

“The fairness. That word came out several times in conversations with the players. Hard but fair.”

Cheveldayoff said he believes the team can improve again next season.

“We’re fortunate we have a real strong core of guys that are going to push, pull and prod,” he said. “A lot of different guys that are on the good side of (age) 30, I guess, in the sense that there’s still capacity for them to grow.

“That's the group of guys that we're going to challenge to help take us to that next level. And again, it can't be underestimated, we have the best goaltender in the world.”

Connor Hellebuyck is likely to win his second consecutive Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie, and third of his career. He’s also a finalist for the Hart Trophy as most valuable player.

He boosted his franchise record with 47 regular-season wins and had the league’s best goals-against average (2.00) and most shutouts (eight).

But Hellebuyck struggled at times during the post-season, including being pulled in three road games against the Blues. The Jets never won a road game in their series against St. Louis or Dallas.

Winnipeg has eight pending unrestricted free agents, including winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who’s playing for Denmark at the men’s world hockey championship.

"When we get a chance to talk to him, we’ll put our best foot forward with him to try to make our case to be a unique Jet-for-life type player and we’ll see where it all goes there," Cheveldayoff said.

"The relationship is great and he did contribute to the success of this organization on many fronts and we hope that’s something that can continue."

Ehlers recorded 24 goals and 63 points in 69 regular-season games. He added five goals and two assists in eight playoff games after returning from injury.

“I think I'd echo the statement of everyone in this room, that we'd love to see Nikky back,” Lowry said. “He's a huge part of our team. He's a game-breaker. He's great in this room.”

Lowry and top-line winger Kyle Connor are both heading into the final year of their contracts and could be offered extensions.

“That's kind of how I picture myself, as a Winnipeg Jet for life,” Lowry said. “I love the city, love playing in front of these fans and I think that's something that hopefully we can take steps towards getting that out of the way this summer.”

Cheveldayoff wasn’t dismissing that possibility – for both Lowry and Connor.

“I believe they're a big part of our success, and want to keep it that way,” he said.

The Jets also have six pending restricted free agents such as defenceman Dylan Samberg and forwards Gabe Vilardi and Morgan Barron.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2025.

Judy Owen, The Canadian Press