The Jets host the Oilers tonight at the MTS Centre in their second pre-season game. Once again it's a time for Paul Maurice to see what he has in some youth and his probable second line. The Jets tweeted out their roster this morning and it looks like this:
Kane Scheifele Wheeler Galiardi Lowry Kosmachuk Ehlers Petan Halsichuk Tangradi Cormier Peluso
Morrissey Trouba Pardy Clitsome Melchiori O'Neil
Hutchinson Taylor
Vets like Kane and Wheeler see their first ice time as does second year centre Mark Scheifele along with Pardy and Clitsome. Where the interest lies is seeing Lowry up again but this time as a centre on the second line, while Petan anchors the third line centre position.
Initial thoughts would be that Lowry is being given a bit more rope tonight after an adequate if not strong performance on Monday. He had 15:55 in TOI last game with over 5 minutes of shorthanded time. Depending on how Maurice wants to use Lowry he could jump up closer to 18-20 minutes tonight, a clear test to see how he manages the rigors of NHL games.
It makes sense as the fitness push by Maurice has to be measured in performance during games and if Lowry is to make the team he's going to have to prove he's ready in any capacity. The other aspect that is interesting is he played left wing on Monday but is a centre today. That's a nod towards depth the organization could not draw on last year, especially when Mark Scheifele was injured down the stretch.
The other intriguing aspect of the Jets roster is the pairing of Trouba and Morrissey as the top defense pair tonight. It's a look into a future that some Jets fans want to arrive as soon as possible. Just like the idea of Schiefele and Kane being a dynamic duo up front the vision of Morrissey and Trouba anchoring the blue line is now going to be realized, if only in the pre-season.
Once again though the point of prospects and depth finally arriving at camp as viable options for the interim, if not the future, has to be noted. Regardless of fan impatience and frustration, the plan that Kevin Cheveldayoff has employed is finally becoming a measurable reality.
With Scott Kosmachuk on the second line right wing with Ehlers and Petan anchoring the third line Jets fans are going to have a very good taster of what 'could' be if things go right for the team.
On the other side of the ice the Oilers are also giving the fans, and management, a look at the future, a future that never seems to arrive for the team.
Yakupov, Nugent-Hopkins Eberle Pouliot Draisatl Tkachev C. Hamilton Yakimov Miller Kessy Ewanyk Pitlick
Nurse Marincin Aulie Schultz Klefbom Gernat
Brossoit Rimmer
With pseudo-vets like Nuge and Eberle lining up with Russian wunderkind Yakupov against the Kane, Scheifele, Wheeler line- tonight has all the makings of the battles of the future. Throw in the rookie Draisatl with Lowry against him and fans have to hope these two teams become the next beasts of the west, at least at some point.
I've often said these teams are somewhat similar in their development and time lines but I still believe that Winnipeg is a better club, a deeper club, but for how long?
The one thing that could be the variable of the future between these two groups is goaltending and defense. Tonight Darnell Nurse suits up for Edmonton. For those who do not remember it was Nurse who was chosen 7th overall in 2013 just six spots ahead of Josh Morrissey. Finally these two player meet in the NHL and once again fans can take a small sample size to go back and review players from the draft class of 2013.
While I'm not sure of where Nurse's status is with the Oilers should he be an option to stay up I suspect the numbers game for Morrissey has him back with Prince Albert. While solid on Monday night, more seasoning will not hurt Morrissey but it would be preferable to happen in the AHL. Tonight will be a good test for him on the top pairing, taking the tough opposition of Edmonton's best, just as Nurse will face what is arguably Winnipeg's 1b line.
Tonight future's collide, but how soon we see them consistently for each team is still a guessing game. Perhaps we know a little more after it's all over.