Breaking down the main takeaways from Winnipeg Jets training camp, pre-season opener versus Minnesota on Sunday. 

The Winnipeg Jets have wrapped up training camp and are now entering the final stretch of their preseason preparations. After a 3-2 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild in their pre-season opener, they’re set to face the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday in their second exhibition game.

Sunday’s matchup, along with the broader training camp, highlighted several key storylines that are drawing attention from insiders. These developments bring added intrigue to the remaining preseason games, as Jets head coach Scott Arniel still faces several important roster decisions, some of which may carry into the early part of the regular season.

Jets Drop First Pre-season Contest to Minnesota in Overtime The Winnipeg Jets kicked off their pre-season with a 3-2 overtime loss to the visiting Minnesota Wild on Sunday afternoon. 

Salomonsson Contending For Main Roster Spot

One of the early names being listed as one to watch is Jets prospect Elias Salomonsson, who the team used a high second round pick on during the 2022 NHL Draft. The 21-year-old Swedish blueliner made the jump to North American pro hockey last season with the Manitoba Moose and did quite well with five goals and 22 assists for 27 points through 53 games. In training camp, he regularly worked with NHL regulars and held his own according to Arniel. Salomonsson working in with better players helps advance his development as he’s started to show more of what his game has to offer the further along into the pre-season. 

"I think that now that it's a little bit more controlled, a little bit more structure to it, you see his skillset come out,” Arniel said on Salomonsson to the media following the pre-season opener “I like the way he plays, he's calm, he works to get back to pucks on the breakout and you saw him on the power play and in offensive situations as well, he's got an impressive bite to him.” 

The Jets don’t have much space on their backend as they’re looking to keep it mostly intact after finishing with the league’s best defense for two straight seasons. However, if injuries pile up on the right side with an older Luke Schenn sitting on the third pairing at right defense, this could create an opening for Salomonsson. This would likely be down the line at some point but if Salomonsson can continue to impress with his play he could work his way up into being the seventh defenseman on the roster. 

Gifted But Young: Danny Zhilkin, Kevin He

Two names that broke out from the bunch in a big way due to their play on a line together is Kevin He and Danil Zhilkin. The 19- and 21-year-old were put on a line together with AHL winger Samuel Fagemo, with the trio earning the respect of Arniel when asked about a unit that stood out in the pre-season opener.

Arniel was impressed with He’s development over the last year with the Niagara Ice Dogs and added weight which the team had asked him to do and it proved to be a difference maker in his game. He picked up a pretty assist on a behind-the-back pass to Danny Zhilkin for Winnipeg's second goal of the first period.

“He got to play in an exhibition game last year, but he looked light, He looked like a guy who was at his first camp,” Arniel said “He came back here 10 or 12 pounds heavier and he ran into some people, he made a great play on the goal, He was a little bit more responsible without the puck.” 

While He became well known for his story as one of the highest drafted Chinese-born hockey players in NHL history, Zhilkin came from Russia after being a Jets third round pick in 2022 and has since posted just 17 points in 97 games over two years with the Manitoba Moose. One thing that Arniel noted about his game was that Zhilkin continually asked for help from coaches and management in growing his game and that he has come back this season having put in a lot of work during the off-season and is prepared to have his best season yet. 

“[Zhilkin]’s had some conversations with people within our organization, not only (Moose head coach) Mark Morrison, but [Kevin Cheveldayoff], Jimmy Roy, different people have talked to him,” Arniel claimed “That’s got him thinking about what it takes to play at this level, I watched that game in Montreal and I saw the highlights of the second game and he was one of our best players there and again, he was good tonight.”

The duo of rising prospects will be looking to continue their hot streaks further into the pre-season. He was optioned back to Niagara on Monday but will his play over the next few pre-season games, could make the team consider a stint with the Moose in the AHL later in the season. 

Jets Make Six Roster Cuts, Send Kevin He Back to Junior The Winnipeg Jets announced six roster transactions on Monday afternoon. 

Brad Lambert Injury Update

During Sunday’s preseason game between the Jets and Minnesota Wild, high-end prospect Brad Lambert was tripped on a rushing chance and went crashing hard into the goalpost just 34 seconds into the overtime period. He was slow to get up as multiple replays provided different angles of Lambert hitting his face off the ice before his body slammed into the net with the broadcast noting he was clocked at 35 MPH entering the zone.

Arniel noted it was the collision with the net that injured Lambert as he continued to play for another minute or so before leaving the game after being pulled by a concussion spotter. Lambert was evaluated for a concussion but no news has come out since and the next update will likely come on Tuesday when training camp resumes. 

Koepke, Anderson-Dolan and Others Battling for Final Forward Spots

The Jets brought in Cole Koepke this past off-season from the Boston Bruins as a bottom-six option that could add 15-20 points. They were also hoping that Koepke would be able to contribute penalty kill minutes after finishing sixth on the Bruins in penalty kill minutes by a forward last season. Being able to work into the special teams is an area that could earn some of these depth forwards a starting job with the Jets. 

The only available spots are likely held by Morgan Barron and Koepke based on current opening night lineup projections which means players like Jaret Anderson-Dolan, David Gustafsson and recent AHL add Walker Duehr will need to do their best to make an impact. The Jets coaching staff had tried out combinations in Koepke and Duehr as well as Anderson-Dolan and Gustafsson in penalty kill situations with Arniel noting the duos performed well. These four names will all be ones to watch as the position battles continue further into the pre-season.

Jonathan Toews to Make Jets Preseason Debut on Tuesday The Winnipeg Jets' biggest offseason signing - quite possibly of all time - will not be in the lineup when the team hosts the Minnesota Wild on Sunday afternoon.