Jan 16, 2025; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets players celebrate their victory over the Seattle Kraken at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

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Winnipeg Jets Unlikely to Focus on Adding a Second-Line Center

Winnipeg Jets May Shift Priorities Away from Pursuing a Second-Line Center

Jan 16, 2025; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets players celebrate their victory over the Seattle Kraken at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

The Winnipeg Jets might not focus on acquiring a center at the NHL Trade Deadline if team captain Adam Lowry maintains his impressive performance in that role. Winnipeg has required a second-line center for several consecutive seasons and was focused on it before Lowry took on the role out of necessity when Vladislav Namestnikov suffered a lower-body injury.

Currently, Lowry’s sample size for the position is minimal at this stage, having advanced for the last two games. Nonetheless, the initial outcomes are excellent, as the trio of Lowry, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Alex Iafallo has proven challenging to compete against and poses offensive dangers whenever they are put on the ice together. Lowry recorded one assist in the two games following the trade, yet his overall performance has positively impacted both Ehlers and Iafallo.

This deserves another look 😀 pic.twitter.com/1hGTdUHV4u
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) January 17, 2025

It’s difficult to imagine Lowry becoming an offensive centerpiece at 31, yet his offensive performance has been improving in recent years. The native of St. Louis, Missouri has had his two best offensive seasons in the last two years and seems ready to exceed his career high of 36 points this season.

It seems that Lowry and his team will have the opportunity to demonstrate whether they can create a performance that persuades Jets management to redirect their search from a second-line center to potentially the best available forward they can obtain. Or maybe a center for the third line to take Lowry’s place.

Winnipeg is in the running for the President’s Trophy and is expected to be just as proactive as they were at last year’s Trade Deadline when they acquired center Sean Monahan from Montreal and Tyler Toffoli from New Jersey. The Jets possess an older core, and given Ehlers’ contract situation, they might have just one opportunity with a team this strong.

Image Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

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Winnipeg Jets

Anamika Shrivastava

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I’ve always loved writing and storytelling, and hockey gives me a perfect stage for endless stories to tell. Whether it’s breaking down a game, analyzing a big trade, or capturing the emotions on the ice, I bring the NHL to life through words. So what’s the best part you ask? Watching the action unfold and turning it into something fans can connect with. To my readers: Hockey is more than just a game—it’s the highs, the heartbreaks, and the moments that make us jump off our seats. So, keep cheering, keep debating, and never stop loving the madness of the sport!