Gabriel Vilardi is a name familiar to those in the Ontario hockey scene, but it may soon be time for the rest of the nation to learn the Kingston native’s name. Vilardi’s had a mixed start to his professional career, but there’s reason to believe a return to his home country could be the start of a rapid upward trajectory. There are big shoes to fill in Winnipeg, with the departure of Pierre-Luc Dubois, but coming off a career season Vilardi could be the one to take the first steps.
Vilardi was a highly ranked prospect in his teenage days, being named Ontario East Minor Hockey League player of the year in 2014-15 before he was selected second overall by the Windsor Spitfires in 2015. He would play three seasons in the OHL, seeing major success when he played, but also being plagued by injuries. His 58 points in 32 games in his final season were enough to land him in the lottery of the NHL draft, going 11th to the L.A. Kings.
The injury bug would follow Vilardi to L.A., leading to just 89 games played in his first four years in the league. Finally, in his last season in Los Angeles, he was able to play 60+ games. The results were imminent: 41 points in 63 games, more than his first three seasons combined. He wrapped up the campaign with four points in five playoff games. After a successful season on the Kings’ third line, and with a contract extension looming, the Kings shipped him in a package to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois.
On the surface, the difference between a third-liner and a top-six forward is vast, but Valardi brings a lot of similar aspects to the table as Dubois. At a similar height and weight, Valardi also wins a comparable amount of faceoffs as Dubois, if only marginally less. And, while slightly worse in the circle, Valardi matches Dubois’s Corsi (imagine +/- but for shots) at 60%, and keeps himself out of penalty trouble at a much better rate, tallying just 18 penalty minutes last season.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff emphasized depth in his post-trade press conference, citing the acquisitions as strong additions to their current top-9 forwards.
Valardi can play both center and right-wing, and while it likely won’t be confirmed until after free agency, he’s likely to find a role within the top two lines. With an arbitration hearing set for July 28, the last detail for the organization is to pen down a contract3. Given the injuries, Cheveldayoff is hesitant to offer a long-term deal and would prefer a “prove it” deal4.
Coming off his best and most healthy season, there is reason to be excited about the 23-year-old prospect Gabriel Viraldi. A high-level skater and playmaker, returning to his home country with a clean bill of health may be exactly what the former top prospect needs to spark his full potential.
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