Gabriel Vilardi apologized to Winnipeg Jets fans on Tuesday for his poor play as the team has been mired in a nine-game winless skid.
Vilardi has just one goal and six points in 15 games this season after posting a career-best 30 goals and 69 points in 82 games last season.
The 27-year-old centre is without a point in each of the Jets’ past four games and has one goal and two assists during their current skid. He is also minus-9 on the season.
“I haven’t been doing my job,” Vilardi told Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press. “I’m definitely my own worst critic. I don’t really have a lot of words about how my start has been. I’ve never experience anything like this in my life.”
Vilardi is the team’s third-highest paid player, carrying a cap hit of $7.5 million on his six-year contract that runs through the 2030-31 season
The Jets last won a game on Oct. 13 and are coming off an ugly 7-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. The team will visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday with hopes of avoiding seeing their skid hit double digits.
After a once-promising 4-1-1 start, the Jets have nosedived to 4-8-3 and are ahead of only the Chicago Blackhawks in the Central Division.
“I feel bad. I apologize to all the fans,” said Vilardi. “I know the product hasn’t been good and I haven’t been carrying my end of the stick, or whatever the saying would be.”
Head coach Scott Arniel has cycled the lines, hoping to find some chemistry that works for Vilardi. On Monday, the 6-foot-3 forward skated on the top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Schiefle, reuniting with linemates he played with most of last season.
Arniel is also feeling pressure with the Jets continuing to flounder. He entered the season on an expiring contract and, while the current skid would appear to have him on the hot seat, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports the front office is not currently considering a coaching change.