Prior to the start of last season, Blake Wheeler was stripped of his “C,” leaving the Jets in the hands of a trio of alternate captains: Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey and Adam Lowry. Wheeler had been with the team since they were the Atlanta Thrashers and spent six seasons serving as captain. Since losing the letter, his contract was bought out earlier this summer, allowing him to sign with the New York Rangers.
To compensate for the loss of Wheeler in the team’s leadership group, the Jets named Lowry as an alternate captain alongside Scheifele and Morrissey in October 2022.
Besides the minor movement prior to last season, few things have changed. Bringing on Rick Bowness to replace Paul Maurice as head coach in 2022 could have been a catalyst for more holistically rethinking the team’s leadership dynamics after missing the playoffs the season prior.
Instead, the nominally-revised team barely earned a playoff spot in 2023 and had a less-than-graceful first round exit.
It is evident that the Jets have been averse to meaningful restructuring. Wheeler was an alternate captain for two years under Andrew Ladd before becoming captain when the latter was traded to Chicago. Scheifele and Morrissey have served as alternates since 2016 and 2019, respectively. Kevin Cheveldayoff has been the Jets’ only GM since the team’s relocation from Atlanta.
Wheeler, Scheifele and Morrissey had been Winnipeg’s leadership core since the 2019-2020 season. Scheifele and Morrissey have been with the team for their entire careers while Wheeler spent a 12-year tenure with the Jets/Thrashers.
Even though one third of this trio has since gone to New York, the team seems reluctant to move on from the formula and intent on keeping the others in leadership positions.
Lowry was certainly the most obvious choice to fill in a gap left by Wheeler. In keeping with the tradition of rewarding longevity, his entire career has also been spent in Winnipeg. He even provides a similar physicality to Wheeler.
While Lowry’s big frame and propensity for fighting are appreciated by fans, they don’t correlate to being a leading scorer for the team.
Lowry reliably helms the Jets’ third line, flanked by a frequently rotating group of wingers, though his typical wingers are Mason Appleton and Morgan Barron.
After nearly a decade in the NHL, Lowry has established his role on the team as a reliable, physical player who is also reasonably charismatic. He wouldn’t be centering a top line but is nonetheless a serious contender for the Jets’ vacant captaincy.
A Lowry-captained leadership group which also comprises Scheifele, Morrissey and another defender as alternate captains could emphasize the team’s physical, defensive strengths while still featuring a few standout scorers.
A contender for that third alternate role in this scenario could very well be Dylan DeMelo. DeMelo, though himself not much of a scorer, complements his defensive partner Morrissey, who last season put up a stellar 76 points. He can also be a supportive and outspoken leader.
On the other, more forward-thinking hand, Scheifele may be the best candidate for Wheeler’s successor.
That is, however, if Cheveldayoff is able to sign Scheifele to a long-term contract following this season. As it is looking increasingly likely that Scheifele will remain with the team that made him their first ever draft pick, it may be time to start preparing him for captaincy.
Without changing too many leadership roles, a Scheifele captaincy that focused on points production by forwards could keep Lowry and Morrissey while also adding another top-six forward as the third alternate.
High scorers like Ehlers and Connor are well-loved by fans for their play, but aren’t known for their personalities on the ice or leadership presence in the locker room. Instead, waiting a season or two to name a new captain in this model might be best, in order to judge if any of the Jets’ younger players would be well suited as a third alternate.
If Cole Perfetti can demonstrate high-scoring play (and avoid missing much more time to injuries), he may be a contender; one of the Jets’ recent acquisitions in Rasmus Kupari or Gabriel Vilardi likewise could be considered.
In any case, and given that the Jets don’t indicate any sign of radically restructuring their leadership contingent, the team doesn’t need to rush to name a new captain this season at least until Scheifele’s future – or lack thereof – with the team is certain.
Stay tuned for more NHL content, including off-season moves and prospect updates.
Featured content courtesy of NHL.com
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