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Jets coach to Scheifele: Be prepared for all roles

Blue Jackets Jets Hockey

Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele (45) celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the first period of a preseason NHL hockey game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John Woods)

AP

Mark Scheifele hasn’t been able to establish himself in the NHL since he was taken with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, but he’s got a great opportunity right now. If he wants to increase his odds though, he needs to think about what his duties might be like on the third or fourth line.

The 20-year-old forward has been superb offensively at the junior level and he’s auditioning for a top-six role. At the same time, Jets coach Claude Noel warned him that he’ll have to be adaptable.

“He’s an offensive player and he always will be,” Noel told the Winnipeg Sun. “But he should just look at the way he needs to play. Because the roles change.”

In particular, Noel is warning Scheifele that some of what has paid off in the OHL might not translate well to the next level. For his part, Scheifele has acknowledged that he needs to be more patient defensively and less focused on getting quickly to the offensive zone.

Winnipeg is a team with one eye looking down the road and if Scheifele can prove that he can handle any role now, he’s likely to play a big role in that future.

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