The Winnipeg Jets embark on their seven-game 2018 pre-season schedule tonight at Bell MTS Place against the Minnesota Wild…After tonights’s game, the Jets practice at Bell MTS Iceplex tomorrow and Wednesday before travelling to Rogers Place to face the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday in the second game of the pre-season.
Sept. 17 Game Notes vs. Minnesota (PDF)
Experienced Lineup
Of the 20 players the Jets are scheduled to dress tonight, 17 played at least one game in the NHL last season, including 14 for the Jets…Only Logan Stanley (Kitchener/OHL), Mason Appleton (Manitoba/AHL), and Kristian Vesalainen (HPK and Karpat/Liiga) didn’t see action in the NHL.
New Guys
Three summer acquisitions are slated to be in the Jets lineup tonight – G – Laurent Brossoit, F – Seth Griffith and F – Nicolas Kerdiles…Brossoit and Griffith were signed as unrestricted free agents, while Kerdiles was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for F – Chase De Leo.
First Round Content
The Jets have five of their last six first round picks in the lineup tonight, including rookies D – Logan Stanley (2016) and F – Kristian Vesalainen (2017)…Also scheduled to play are F – Patrik Laine (2016), F – Jack Roslovic (2015) and F – Nikolaj Ehlers (2014)…Winnipeg’s top four goal scorers last season were first round selections picked after the team relocated to Winnipeg in 2011 – Laine (44), Kyle Connor (31), Ehlers (29), and Mark Scheifele (23).
Wild Foes
The Jets went 3-1 against the Wild in 2017-18 during the regular season and then dispatched of Minnesota in five games in the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs…Mark Scheifele had six points (1G, 5A) in three regular season games against the Wild, while Blake Wheeler matched that with six points (2G, 4A) in four regular season games…Scheifele (4G, 1A) and Dustin Byfuglien (5A) each paced the Jets in scoring against Minnesota in the playoffs…Dating back to 2015, the Jets are 14-7-0 in their last 21 regular season and playoff games against the Wild.
State of Buff and Wheels
Minnesotans Dustin Byfuglien (Roseau) and Blake Wheeler (Plymouth) have enjoyed more success against the Wild than any Minnesotans since the Wild entered the NHL for 2000-01 season…Byfuglien leads all Minnesotans in scoring against the Wild with 32 points (8G, 24A) in 39 career games, while Wheeler is second with 26 points (11G, 15A) in 30 games…Byfuglien is 20-15-4 all-time against Minnesota during the regular season, while Wheeler is 15-13-2.
Road Start
For the first time since 2016, the Jets start the regular season on the road, as they begin the 2018-19 campaign at Enterprise Center in St. Louis against the Blues on Oct. 4 and follow up with their second game in Dallas against the Stars on Oct. 6…However, Winnipeg plays the bulk of their October schedule at Bell MTS Place, as the team has seven of their first 10 games at home…The Jets have a season-high six-game homestand from Oct. 14-24.
Pre-Season Sked
The Jets play an extremely condensed pre-season schedule, as after tonight the team is slated to play six games in eight days, including three back-to-back sets, starting Thursday in Edmonton…Winnipeg plays their usual pre-season counterparts twice each – Minnesota, Calgary, and Edmonton – and host the New Jersey Devils on Sept. 27 in their lone pre-season game against an Eastern Conference opponent.