Jets' Viggo Bjorck facing hefty expectations, big-league adjustments

WINNIPEG — Despite a growing number of critics, the Winnipeg Jets remain steadfast in their belief that a major rebound is on the horizon.

This will be no easy task, of course.

Star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck did the Jets no favours by making his trade request public and refusing to report to camp. The coinciding suspension has cast a dark cloud over the entire organization, only adding to the disappointment of last year's 35-35-12 effort that saw Winnipeg finish seventh in the Central Division and 26th league-wide.

While many outsiders increasingly view the Jets as a former contender clinging to a once-achievable goal — with the team's confidence, stemming from a President's Trophy in 2025, only delaying an eventual rebuild — the belief inside the room appears firmly intact.

"We still have a lot of good pieces," Jets captain Adam Lowry said. "(There's) the belief that a lot of us didn't live up to our expectations last year. We're going to find our game again, and we're going to get back to where we want to be."

But if a return to regular-season greatness is actually in the cards, a lot has to go right. Perhaps nothing is more important to achieving that goal than finding a two-way, second-line centre, a position that has evaded the franchise for years.

Welcome, 18-year-old Viggo Bjorck.

The Jets have appointed the rookie to the job, asking Bjorck not only to quickly adapt to the best league in the world, but to actively drive a second line that has struggled to support the scoring of Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor on the top unit. Scheifele and Connor, along with linemate Gabriel Valardi, accounted for 105 — or 45 per cent — of the club's 231 goals last season.

Bjorck was a heralded prospect long before Winnipeg selected the Swedish forward with the eighth overall pick in June. What he lacks in size — listed at a modest 5-foot-nine and 180 pounds — he makes up for with tenacity and a high hockey IQ. 

The hype has followed Bjorck to Winnipeg. Few rookies have been viewed in such a favourable light upon arrival, with praise coming from the coaching staff and players alike. After the first couple weeks of camp, there's a strong feeling the Jets aren't just hoping he can fill the massive hole, but that they're actively cheering it on.

Final cuts ahead of the Jets' regular-season opener in Boston on Oct. 2 won't be finalized until next week, but Bjorck's spot is all but confirmed. Head coach Scott Arniel put him in the top six at the start of camp — with a veteran in Vilardi and fellow Swede Isak Rosén as his wingers — and has remained committed through camp and three pre-season games. 

That begs the question: has this cushy assignment been fully earned, or do the Jets simply lack any better options?

So far, Arniel has preached patience, given the steep learning curve. He also knows Bjorck will need time and space to adjust to an NHL pace where both come at a premium.

"We're just trying to gradually have him progress," Arniel said a week into camp. "And then it's also just him getting comfortable."

Bjork hasn't dazzled in his two pre-season games against Edmonton and Colorado, where he averaged more than 17 minutes of ice time. But he also hasn't looked out of place either. His quickness is evident, and his decision-making with the puck is equally strong.

While Arniel has been rightfully patient, the NHL schedule is no friend. Under the league's new collective bargaining agreement, training camps have been reduced from nearly three weeks to 13 days, with only a four-game pre-season schedule, down from eight.

"You don't have the time ... to do longer, in-depth stuff," Arniel added. "So, it's every day trying to take advantage of showing them stuff and talking about different things."

Scouts have praised Bjorck's fearlessness and processing speed, and they collectively agree he was a steal at No. 8. What's helped Bjorck adjust more quickly is his experience playing against grown men back home — a significant advantage over prospects arriving from Canadian junior leagues or US colleges.

Bjorck made his professional debut at 16, scoring in his only regular-season game with Djurgårdens IF, in Sweden's second-tier league. The next year, he made the jump to the top club, finishing with six goals and 15 points in 42 games while playing on an "all-junior" line with Victor Eklund and Anton Frondell.

More recently, he made history as the youngest player ever to suit up at the men's world championship at 18 years, 65 days. Skating on a line with Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond and 2026 second-overall pick Ivan Stenberg, Bjorck registered one goal and five assists in eight games.

"You can see it," Arniel said. "Him having experience in the Swedish men's league and then also in the worlds, he's been able to play against older guys that have that ability to close fast."

While his experience overseas should help with the transition, the physicality and speed in the NHL are undoubtedly a different beast. That increased level of difficulty has already caught up with Bjorck a few times.

In the win over Colorado, Bjorck felt the full force of a bone-rattling hit from six-foot-four prospect Gustav Stjernberg. But Arniel said he's only grown from his mistakes and is getting better every day.

"There were a couple times the other night that we did have a little chat about, that don't put yourself in too many of those situations because there's some really big guys and fast guys that will be coming as these games get harder and harder and more of the true lineups we're going to see," Arniel said. "But he is elusive. His head is always up. He's always got a good idea what's coming, what's around him."

Then there are the adjustments off the ice. 

Bjorck is living in a new country where few, aside from a couple of teammates, speak his native language. Planning to live alone in an apartment downtown, he'll also be responsible for doing his own laundry and cooking his own meals. 

While that might sound like simple chores, living independently from home or a billet family while navigating the NHL lifestyle is among the greatest challenges for players turning pro.

"I guess we'll wait and see," Bjorck said with a chuckle when asked about balancing life on and off the ice. "But I think I'm ready."

Bjorck has a maturity beyond his 18 years. When asked directly how he was handling the pressure of centring the second line, expecting a bit of hesitation, he was hardly fazed.

Instead, Bjorck leaned on his time in the Swedish Elite League. European leagues might not be at the same level as the NHL, he said, but they're no cakewalk either. 

Perhaps most telling, he refused to let the pressure of the moment ruin living out a childhood dream.

"Obviously, the NHL is another step up," Bjorck said. "Plays happen a bit quicker here, and (you have) a little less time. I just keep working, get used to a new environment every day that comes. It's going to come eventually."

Bjorck's father has already visited for a week, and both his parents will be at his first home game. He also has a room full of teammates keen to support him and a Jets staff working tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition.

Vilardi has already proven himself as an on-ice support system by stepping up immediately to defend Bjorck after Stjernberg's hit. Having Rosén around to speak Swedish also helps a lot, though Vilardi has asked them not to tune him out on the ice.

Lowry, once a wide-eyed rookie himself, said there is no one-size-fits-all approach to transitioning rookies to the NHL. But after two weeks, he's been impressed with how Bjorck has handled the heavy workload.

"Everyone's personality is different, but it's about getting to know them, making sure they have a voice, making sure they understand the systems, making sure the adjustment is as easy as possible because there's going to be growing pains," the captain said. "As leaders or just as teammates, I don't think it's one guy's job. It's important that everyone checks in."

Arniel understands the stakes of this experiment. The Jets have been unable to fill the second-line centreman hole since trading away Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings, with the likes of Lowry, Jonathan Toews, Sean Monahan and, most recently, Vladimir Namestikov all earning a shot with mixed results.

Only time will tell if Bjorck is the right answer. But whether speaking from confidence or underlying desperation, Arniel made his case Thursday as the Jets prepared to take off to Colorado for one final tune-up game.

"The one thing about Viggo is it's between his ears. He does get things that way easy; he picks things up quick," Arniel said. "I've noticed it right from development camp ... his hockey sense is really, really strong. We're not trying to give him the overload every single day. We're trying to let him breathe a little bit, but he's been great about picking stuff up."