If the door was slightly ajar for Josh Morrissey initially, the events of this weekend have basically ensured it's been kicked wide open for him or someone else.

Already considered one of the legitimate candidates for a spot on the third pairing with the Winnipeg Jets, the smooth-skating Morrissey now finds himself in the group of guys looking to fill a spot reserved for Jacob Trouba.

Trouba and his camp asked for a trade during a face-to-face meeting in May and his request went public on Saturday night, which leaves a significant void on the back end.

Whether Morrissey can go from safety valve to full-time player this fall is a storyline worth monitoring – though that's not top of mind for the individual who was chosen 13th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft by the Jets.

“Obviously it's something (Trouba) has decided to do and thinks it's best for him. It doesn't change anything for me,” said Morrissey. “I'm just here, trying to work hard every day and get better through camp and push for my spot this year. To do what I can to make it the hardest decision (for Jets management).”

The increased opportunity is obvious, even if Morrissey has chosen to focus simply on his original goal and not put any additional pressure on himself to jump onto the second pairing.

“That's not really up for me to decide. Obviously, coming in here, there's a lot of great defencemen and a lot of great players,” said Morrissey. “My mindset has been the same thing, regardless of anything that happens. I'm just trying to put myself in the best spot and do my best to try to make this team.”

Morrissey had a slow start to last season, but eventually found his groove and started to use the tools that made him successful in the past to his advantage.

“Probably my two best assets are my head and my skating,” said Morrissey, who had three goals and 22 points in 57 games for the Manitoba Moose last season. “Getting to places faster, doing everything faster and with a high pace.”

Slowing the game down while playing at a high place and using his smarts were keys for Morrissey when he made a successful NHL debut against the Montreal Canadiens on March 5.

Morrissey, 21, was used on a pairing with Tyler Myers and played nearly 16 minutes, making a strong impression.

“He's really smooth,” said Myers, who was paired with Morrissey again on Sunday. “He skates really well and especially the way the game is going, you need that. If you look at the team that won the Stanley Cup this past year, they were a fast-moving team, especially on the back end and I think he's got a real shot at showcasing the way he can skate. And the skill level. I'll do the best I can to help him out, not only him but a bunch of the other young guys as well.”

Morrissey was returned to the American Hockey League the day after making his Jets debut and ran into some bad luck, as he suffered an ankle injury in his first game back with the Moose, shutting him down for the rest of the season.

In the short term, the injury cost Morrissey a few NHL games for sure.

But in the big picture, Morrissey got healthy and had a full summer of training for the first time in a long time.

“It was obviously disappointing last year when I went down (with the injury) two days after I played my first NHL game. That was disappointing, for sure,” said Morrissey. “But I was able to recover. We did the right thing to shut me down for the year.

“Throughout the summer, it was my first real opportunity, since I was about 11-years-old when I didn't have a whole bunch of Program of Excellence stuff going on in the summer or the NHL Draft or stuff like that. So I was able to be in the gym for four consecutive months. I really put the time in and tried to build my body the right way. It's really paid off. I feel better and stronger than I ever have.”

As a high pick in the first round, Morrissey has been under the microscope for a few years already, but he's comfortable with where he's at in terms of his development as a player.

“You want to make (the NHL) every year. Every time you where the Jets jersey or you're in the locker room, you want to make that team,” said Morrissey. “But it's tough to judge anyone based on what anyone else has done, because every guy's situation is completely unique. You're at a different stage physically, opportunity, all of those things.

“For me, my mindset all along has been to get better. It's a marathon, I guess. Not a spring. You try to improve over time and when you get that opportunity (to be in the NHL), make the most of it. Just be patient and never be complacent or anything like that.”

JACK BE QUICK

2015 Jets first-rounder Jack Roslovic continues to open eyes with his heads-up play and high skill level.

Following a strong development camp and three solid games at the Young Stars Classic, Roslovic was one of the more noticeable players on the ice again on Sunday afternoon – thanks to a couple of deft passes and bursts of speed.

“He definitely catches your eye, just with his speed and his ability to hang onto the puck and make plays,” said Kompon.

It will be interesting to see how Roslovic plays when the pre-season begins, but it's abundantly clear he's ready to start his pro career.

AROUND THE GLASS

The Jets held their first scrimmage of training camp on Sunday afternoon and Team White defeated Team Blue 1-0 on the strength of a penalty-shot goal from Brenden Kichton. Ondrej Pavelec pitched the shutout for Team White...The Jets open pre-season action on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames in the first of seven pre-season contests, but the lineup for that game remains a work in progress. “That's part of the evaluation process, we'll get a game plan together for our first game and then move forward from there,” said Kompon.