To be successful, a hockey team needs its players to work together even if making it means facing off against each other.
“It’s going to be tough at training camp,” Winnipeg Jets forward Jack Roslovic said. “There’s a lot of new players and they all want to do the same thing I want to.”
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Landing a spot with the Jets this year will be even harder. On top of a healthy stock of veterans, the squad’s youngins are also coming of age.
“I thought I had a productive first year of pro,” forward Kyle Connor said.
“I learned a lot and think it’s something I can build on coming into this year.”
Connor was among the handful who got a taste of the NHL last season. The 2015 first-round pick registered two goals and three assists in 20 games with the Jets along with 44 points in 52 AHL games.
“It was nice to do all that good work when I was with the Manitoba Moose, get that reward and called up,” Connor said.
Play that caught the attention of more than just the organization’s brass. Those usually on the bubble know it will be tough to outperform prospects when training camp starts on Friday.
“I just have to keep working hard obviously,” defenceman Julian Melchiori said. “Everyone is a great player out there so you still have to work your hardest and do your best.”
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But more importantly, be prepared to fight right from day one.
“We’ve just gone through two years of really letting some players develop in the NHL,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. “In some ways, that window is closing a little bit.”
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