Jets coach Paul Maurice stood near the blue line on day two of training camp at the MTS Iceplex Saturday. With whistle in hand, he waited.

Taking only a few moments to scan the ice – or perhaps to take a quick glance at the packed stands filled with hundreds of doting fans – he raised his hand to his lips and blew.

To his right was forward and known tough customer, Anthony Peluso, now two steps in to the drill. Starting from the corner, Peluso took a couple more hard strides before snapping a hard pass to a defenceman already in position 50 feet ahead.

By now, a smooth transition in the neutral zone had Peluso moving back in the direction he had just came from. Waiting for him was a pass, one the big man took with ease; leaving only an open break on goaltender Ondrej Pavelec left to finish the drill.

Picking up speed as he made his way towards the goal, Peluso dropped his shoulder, just enough to fake out Pavelec and with another step he snapped a bullet far side, upstairs and in.

The kind of elegance and smoothness displayed in the 10 seconds it took from start to finish painted a scene somewhat uncharacteristic to that of an NHL tough guy, even if it did inspire a loud cheer of approval from the stands.

Fighting for position

That’s because, for Jets fans, applause for the six-foot-three, 235 pound native of North York, Ont. is usually reserved for after an exchange of fisticuffs, the byproduct of being an NHL enforcer; a role that Peluso has cemented for himself during his short time in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Jets centre Nicolas Petan, left wing Adam Lowry, and right wing Anthony Peluso catch their breaths at Saturday's training camp session at the MTS Iceplex (Jeff Hamilton/CBC) “I think it’s important,” said the 25-year-old and former sixth round pick of the St. Louis Blues, on the state of fighting in hockey, a conversation that inevitably pops up at the beginning of every new season.

“It gives those guys that need the space and need to know that there’s someone there who has their back. I think they know, the players on my team, that I would [be there] in a heart beat for everyone."

Like all notable tough guys in the NHL, Peluso follows the same code: you cheap shot one of our guys, you’ll have to deal with the consequences.

But unlike enforcers that managed to carve out a living before him, Peluso knows a steel jaw and hard knuckles aren’t enough to stick around in a league that’s constantly rediscovering itself in favour of speed and skill.

“Every year you just try to continue to improve and through my pro career I kind of started at the bottom and have been working my way up, slowly grinding it out and I’m still going to continue to do that,” said Peluso, who finished last season with two goals and 65 penalty minutes in 53 games.

“I’ve set goals for myself and for me it’s just development and improving on last year and continuing to grow my game.”

A solid offseason

Knowing he could contribute with more than just his knuckles, Peluso made a decision four years ago to train with former NHLer Gary Roberts, one of the league’s top conditioning coaches known for working with big stars such as Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos.

Peluso said the two hit it off from the start, focusing on workouts that would best fit his game. The first year they worked on foot speed. This year, it was all about stability strength.

“It was about making sure I was just as solid as I possibly could be,” said Peluso, who also spent three-to-five days per week boxing, a ritual of his since the age of 10.

It’s the kind of dedication you wouldn’t expect from a player who last season eclipsed double-digit minutes of ice time only once.

But if you’re in the game of calling bluffs, think again. Maurice, who coached Roberts for three seasons in Carolina during the late 90s, has already done the work for you.

“I had a long talk with Gary about Anthony’s training regimen and he had nothing but incredible things to say,” spoke Maurice about a call he made to Roberts during the summer.

Asked where in the lineup he felt he could contribute most Peluso said: “You know I don’t really look at it in terms of lines because everyone brings something to the table.”

“I’m confident with my skills and what I bring to the table. I have an element of speed that somewhat surprises guys and I’m really good in the corners. Obviously I have the other part of my game, which is being the physical asset and protecting my teammates and that won’t ever go away.”

Building depth

Through the early stages of camp, a lot of attention has been given to the team’s top-nine forwards. With the signing of Mathieu Perreault and the belief he can bring much needed depth scoring to the third line, it’s no surprise very little lip service has been given to the fourth line.

With the intense, in-your-face style of play Maurice is looking to adopt this season, depth up front will become that much more important when managing minutes.

“We are a big fast team so we don’t want to lose our identity with that fourth line,” started Maurice. “You got to drive it when you’re out there.

"You’d like that line to spend more time in the other teams zone than your own and we need some physical presence and we’d like to have a good face off man as well.”

With the top eight forwards already in place, a battle to fill out the rest of the lineup is well underway. Many believe the versatile TJ Galiardi has a solid shot to win a spot on the third line, alongside Perreault and either Michael Frolik or Dustin Byfuglien, but even that’s not etched in stone just yet.

Candidates for the fourth line include Chris Thorburn, Jim Slater, Eric Tangradi, and Peluso, all of which are on one-way deals as well as Matt Halischuk and Galiardi who both inked two-way contracts in the offseason.

That doesn’t even count the likes of blossoming prospect Adam Lowry, who after his first full season in the American Hockey League last year looks even bigger and stronger and will push for a spot. And then there’s Eric O’Dell, Patrice Cormier, John Albert and Carl Klingberg, all of which spent time with the Jets last winter.

Simple math suggests the team’s brass will have to make some hard decisions in the coming weeks. But if you ask Maurice, there may just be an early front-runner.

“I really like what Anthony Peluso brings to that fourth line, the role that he has on our team,” said Maurice.

Asked if the fact Peluso’s contract, which is set to expire at the end of the season, would have any affect on where he fits in to the lineup, Maurice claimed he doesn’t look at things like that but added: “If I’m him, from a personal point of view, being in your last year of contract can potentially be a really good thing.”

If the offseason was any indication, Peluso may just have enough punch to stick around.