How Gabriel Vilardi's sense of self helped him fit in perfectly with Jets

WINNIPEG, Man. — Gabriel Vilardi knew he was good at tipping pucks, although he didn't know he was this good.

Since joining the Winnipeg Jets in 2023-24, Vilardi ranks second in tipped goals per game (0.12) among forwards that have played 50 games. 

When Sportsnet.ca informed him, Vilardi was taken aback. 

“In the entire league?” he asked. “Then, who’s first? Tkachuk?”

No, it’s Chris Kreider. Valeri Nichushkin, Brock Boeser and Mikko Rantanen round out the top five. All-in-all, pretty impressive company. 

“I mean, that’s a little surprising. But I guess I’m always net front,” Vilardi said. “In the summer, I’ll always work a lot on my hands and it translates to tipping pucks, making plays with the puck when it’s bobbling or off the corners on the wall. Having good hands and working on your hand coordination plays into that. But so does positioning. It’s a bigger factor than people think when you’re net front.” 

Tipping pucks is an often understated skill. But having a player with that weapon in their arsenal is vital in today’s NHL.

“Teams are so good at keeping you away from getting quality chances from the slot and from getting those one-on-one with the goalie situations,” Scott Arniel said. “The goals, especially in the second half of the year… come from tips and rebounds.” 

The six-foot-three forward's smooth hands, stick work and sound positioning haven’t just made him excellent at tipping pucks, it’s also helped him become one of the NHL’s best complementary forwards in the league.

Now, at first glance, the word complementary may not sound all that kind. And maybe it’s a weird phrase for a player who’s recorded 18 goals and 37 points through 42 games (which puts him on pace for a career-high 37 goals and 72 points).

But on his own, Vilardi’s not a play driver. However, his skillset, when weaponized properly, makes him the perfect piece to pair alongside elite talent. And that’s been on full display while playing alongside Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.

“I’ve found a home in playing with ‘KC’ and ‘Scheif,” Vilardi said during a Friday morning one-on-one conversation. “In LA, I was more of a bottom-six type forward. Whenever I was going out there, I wouldn’t say I was trying to do too much, but a lot of the time I got caught trying to do too much. Coming here and playing with Scheif and KC, who are such possession-focused guys, I find that I don’t have the puck as much as I did when I was playing with LA and I just have a different mindset towards my attack. It’s translated into me being more of a shooter and goal scorer, as opposed to a playmaker like I was growing up.”

Not only does Vilardi rank second in power play goals (10) this year, but according to NHL Edge, he also ranks in the 99th percentile in high-danger goals. Each of his 17 goals has come from right in the blue paint, or the inner slot. 

But let’s discount the flashy stuff for a second. Vilardi’s most impactful skill may just be his puck-protection ability. 

“Rush offence is one thing — it’s really difficult to create in the O-zone,” Kings coach Jim Hiller, who coached Vilardi as an assistant during the 2022-23 season, said on Friday morning. “Gabe does that really well. When you got a big body like he does, that helps. You can protect [the puck] and keep it away from you further against the defenders.” 

And buy time and space.

“Whether he’s whacking the other defender's stick or he’s staying heavy on top of it. He does a real good job in tight, around his feet, with that protection and it allows him to create himself maybe a foot, two feet [more] to make a pass [or] get a shot off,” Arniel said.

Vilardi’s ability to master that skill stems from an understanding of what he is — and what he’s not.

“I’m never going to be a guy that’s going to beat a guy down the wall with my speed, right? I’m not a quick guy,” he said. “So, I have to figure out how I can be effective in other ways. Since junior, and then translating into pro, a lot of it has been about puck protection — trying to hold onto pucks down low and trying to create below the hash marks.” 

Which is why he’s gelled so well with his linemates. Scheifele is one of the best players in the league when it comes to puck protection and making plays off the wall. 

“That’s one thing I talked about with the guys last year — how surprising it was to see [Scheifele] hold onto the puck, while a guy's on his shoulder, and then draw another [opposing player],” Vilardi said. “Hockey is all about trying to break down coverages. Every team is so structured. When you can bring two guys to you, that’s where plays happen and he’s so good at that, because he beats his guy off the wall. He’ll hold it long enough that the other team says ‘Okay, we’re in a dangerous spot here, someone else go get him.’ That’s when the two-on-one happens.” 

He’s also subtly become a very effective forechecker. Vilardi may not exhibit the prototypical dog-with-a-bone characteristics that are often associated with efficient forechecking but he’s found a way to leverage his strengths.

“I’ve never been a guy that’s going in and has the mindset that I’m going to go out and make a big hit. For me, it’s more about stick positioning,” Vilardi said when asked about being the first player in on retrievals. “If I can get a tap on the puck, it just slows the other team's transition play and they can’t get a clear exit out. Or a high chip wall play where I knock it down and help us keep it in the zone. I think it goes hand-in-hand with the hand-eye coordination stuff.”

Vilardi’s play along the wall and on the forecheck has been instrumental to Scheifele and Connor having career years. 

Is this a bad time to mention he’s an RFA at the end of the year? Another two-year bridge deal would walk him right to free agency. 

One ought to think Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will try to go long-term with Vilardi, who is due for a big raise from his current $3.43 million AAV. 

He may not be a traditional ‘driver,’ but there’s no doubt he’s solidified himself as a vital part of this team’s core.

And a player this market would hate to lose.