At this point in the season, it certainly wouldn’t be too early to start thinking about potential upgrades to the Winnipeg Jets’ roster.
As they continue to roll along leading the Central Division and challenging for first overall in the league, forecasting possible improvements is, in fact, prudent for a team and organization that undoubtedly feels it has a chance to win and play into June.
And if, for consecutive seasons, the second-line centre position is an area designated for improvement, we should all watch with interest to see what transpires between now and the NHL trade deadline on March 7 for Jets management to fill the void, much like they did last year in acquiring Sean Monahan from Montreal.
But what the last two games have shown us is that perhaps the search for an enhancement at the 2C position might not need to be carried out any wider than Winnipeg’s own dressing room walls. Quite literally, the Jets may have already found him in captain Adam Lowry.
In their latest two wins over Colorado and Vancouver, Lowry’s move up the depth chart to play with Nikolaj Ehlers and Alex Iafallo has been conspicuous, resulting in a line that can score while being hard to score against.
Even Jets head coach Scott Arniel admitted the look and composition of that trio has got him thinking and liking what he sees.
Now, if Lowry is the answer to the Jets improving their second-line centre spot, it would make the task of finding a veteran, experienced third-line centre to replace him that much easier with a market likely flush with that type of player and ultimately less expensive in terms of parting with assets or draft picks to get him.
So no, it’s not too early to start exploring possible upgrades to the Jets roster, but in terms of enhancing the team’s second-line centre spot, the search might have already ended before it really started.
