Will Cole Perfetti Have a Bigger Role With Winnipeg Jets in 2023-24?

As young hockey players develop at the highest levels, they’re expected to take on bigger roles for their team, this is also the expectation for Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti. 

Perfetti is a 21-year-old forward who put up an impressive eight goals and 30 points in 51 games played in his rookie campaign last season. The young playmaker has played in 69 career games with Winnipeg over parts of the last two years, totaling 10 goals with 37 points in that time. 

From the time Perfetti started playing in the Ontario Hockey League with the Saginaw Spirit in 2018-19, he has continuously made improvements to his game. In his first season with the Spirit, he put up 37 goals with 74 points in 63 games, following this up with another 37-goal campaign with 111 points in 61 games in 2019-20. Over the next two seasons, he split time with the Jets and Manitoba Moose, before playing in the NHL full-time in 2022-23. 

With vast changes to the roster in Winnipeg, the opportunity for an increased role could present itself for Perfetti in 2023-24. After offloading Blake Wheeler and Pierre-Luc Dubois, the Jets have some big voids to fill up front, which means multiple players need to step up with increased production. 

The expectation for a young former first-round draft pick is to continue their development in the NHL, making improvements to their game and providing more production. While there are several new faces on this Jets roster that are expected to produce, Perfetti is already entering his third season in Winnipeg and has familiarity with Head Coach Rick Bowness’s system. 

Taking all this into consideration, it’s fair to expect more from Perfetti in the upcoming NHL season. Assuming he can stay healthy, the young Jets forward is poised to improve and take on a bigger role for his team in 2023-24.