WINNIPEG — Cole Perfetti, a 22-year-old forward who signed a two-year, $3.25 million AAV deal on Monday, was surrounded by his teammates as he vanished
into a sea of blue and white jerseys at center ice. The players gave him pats on the back, stick taps, and cheers. Perfetti stated, “No one wants to miss time,
no one wants to miss camp.””We talked about getting some (different) looks when it comes to lines, using some different people,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel
said. “Now that he’s here, I get to do that.” Perfetti is an immediate supplement to a forward lineup that Arniel wants to take beyond last season’s
performance. At even strength, systems will be tweaked rather than revolutionized. Perfetti will be part of that, playing left wing on one of Winnipeg’s
top two lines, a decision Arniel says was made to spare Perfetti some of the heavy, down-low lifting of a center while putting the puck in his
in the chamber with the assembly. hands more frequently during changes In 71 games last season, Perfetti scored 38 points. Given that, what can
Winnipeg anticipate this season? 44 points are obtained by prorating his games played to 82, but Perfetti will probably see an increase in ice time
under Arniel, both in five-on-five play and on the power play. Perfetti is due for a scoring boost even if he only keeps up his 1.81 points per 60 minutes five-
on-five and 3.88 points per 60 minutes power play scoring rates from the previous season, and if he receives middle-six ice time. For instance, Perfetti
might play an extra 90 seconds per game this season compared to last and rank as low as tenth among Jets forwards in five-on-five minutes. Should he take
that jump, while assuming the position 32 points during five-on-five play plus an additional 17 points during the power play make for a strong argument for
49 points overall, as scored by Sean Monahan. And that’s presuming Perfetti has no improvement at all in his fourth NHL year. With plenty of space for
improvement based on his own development, a realistic estimate should lead to a 50-point-per-82-game floor. It’s typical for players who are 22 years
old to advance more quickly as they get used to the demands of the league. Will Perfetti, however, be given that chance? Indeed, Arniel responds,
describing Perfetti as a top-six forward and highlighting his potential for greater success this year. “He had a really strong season last year, and he needs to build on it and be reliable this time around.”
