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DAVID ZALUBOWSKI \/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets left wing Cole Koepke (45) drives past Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns, right, to score in the second period on March 28. Koepke signed a two-year deal with the Jets that was announced on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel really good about the communication between both sides,\u201d Koepke said on Thursday after the Jets closed out the regular season with a 6-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks. \u201cPersonally, I think it\u2019s a good fit and I\u2019ll just let them do the negotiating and see where it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a team that needs to be faster and harder to play against, retaining Koepke before he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1 is a smart move.<\/p>\n
Koepke, who turns 28 next month, gets a raise and the security of a multiyear contract, while the Jets retain a forward that can at minimum be someone they can pencil in for fourth-line duty and might even consider for a role beside captain Adam Lowry on the checking line next season.<\/p>\n
It was a slow start to the season for Koepke, who signed a one-year contract with an AAV of US $1 million last summer after spending the previous season with the Boston Bruins.<\/p>\n
Koepke, who had 10 goals last season to set a career high, was a bit snake bitten early in the campaign and didn\u2019t find the back of the net until his 18th game with the Jets.<\/p>\n
But after adjusting to a new system and working his way through an extended period of healthy scratches, Koepke got comfortable in his new surroundings and showed off the skill set that made him attractive in the first place.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I feel like I really settled in, especially after the break and felt comfortable,\u201d said Koepke. \u201cObviously, it\u2019s unfortunate that some guys went down, but I think it kind of allowed me to be kind of put into a little bit bigger role, and from there I started to play a lot better hockey and started to keep that role a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe core here is exactly what you need and the belief in the group is there. I really believe that the core of this group is built for success and it\u2019ll get back there next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite dealing with the disappointment of joining a team that missed the Stanley Cup playoffs and didn\u2019t live up to the lofty expectations, Koepke believes in the potential of the group, otherwise he would have waited until free agency opened to field other offers and explore his options instead of locking in for the next two seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely, I think this group cares deeply and there\u2019s a lot of skill and there\u2019s huge core pieces at every position. I think that\u2019s essential,\u201d said Koepke. \u201cWhen you look at teams that win, they need star power on the forwards, reliable and offensive defencemen, which we have, and then goaltending, which we obviously have one of the best, if not the best, goaltender in the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, the core here is exactly what you need and the belief in the group is there. It just didn\u2019t come together this year, and I really believe that the core of this group is built for success and it\u2019ll get back there next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other players on the Jets roster who can become unrestricted free agents on July 1 include backup goalie Eric Comrie, defencemen Colin Miller, Ville Heinola and Jacob Bryson, and forwards Gustav Nyquist and Winnipegger Jonathan Toews, who is considering retirement.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n
\t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Of those players, Comrie looks like the strongest candidate to return, given his relationship with Connor Hellebuyck and his love for the city and organization.<\/p>\n Comrie, who set career highs for starts (24) and appearances (25) this season, finished with a record of 12-11-1, a 3.13 goals-against average and .890 save percentage.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets\u2019 Jonathan Toews (19) talks to the media at Canada Life Centre during his exit interview on Friday.<\/p>\n Toews said on Friday that expects to make his decision in the next couple of weeks to a month.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re chasing a playoff spot and you\u2019re playing every other day, it\u2019s been so crazy since the Olympic break, you don\u2019t have much time to think about much else,\u201d said Toews. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like every night you\u2019re standing on the blue line or on the bench for the anthem and you\u2019re like, \u2018oh, here we are again, another game\u2019s starting.\u2019 It\u2019s all you really have time and energy for, so it would be nice to have some space to sink into that thought process and to think about next steps.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/kenwiebe<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Ken Wiebe Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n
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