Scott Arniel joined the "NHL @TheRink" podcast Wednesday to discuss the state of the Winnipeg Jets and offer reasons why they have climbed to the top of the NHL standings thanks to seven straight wins and a 13-game point streak.
Arniel, Winnipeg's associate coach, spoke to co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke about the challenge the coaching staff laid on the Jets at the start of this season to be structured and hard to play against, and defense-oriented without sacrificing offense.
"That was the selling point, not trading one off for the other," Arniel said.
Winnipeg, 11-0-2 in its past 13 games, has gone 30 straight without allowing more than three goals, including the past 10 and 17 of 18 allowing two or fewer.
Arniel said the Jets are allowing fewer than 10 scoring chances at 5-on-5 per game, a significant reason why they're first in the NHL in goals-against per game (2.33).
He talked about the play of goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who is Winnipeg's representative among the first 32 players chosen for the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto on Feb. 1-3. But he also said the play in front of Hellebuyck has been key, that he's not the only heartbeat on the team.
In addition, Arniel talked about Hellebuyck and center Mark Scheifele signing matching eight-year, $59 million contracts ($8.5 million average annual value) on the eve of the regular season and how that provided a "jolt for the rest of our team."
In addition to chatting with Arniel, Rosen and Roarke discussed the fallout from the trade involving the Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks on Monday, when forward prospect Cutter Gauthier went to the Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
They also offered opinions on William Nylander's eight-year, $92 million contract ($11.5 million AAV) and what it means for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They debated the Canadian team that has the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup and discussed what the Washington Capitals approach to the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline on March 8 could and maybe should be.
The "NHL @TheRink" podcast is free, and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.
