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Winnipeg Jets Season Review: The Bottom Six Glue Guy

By Kyle McCarthy

WINNIPEG, MB - MAY 14: Mathieu Perreault #85 of the Winnipeg Jets gets set during a third period face-off against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Two of the Western Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 14, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Knights defeated the Jets 3-1 to tie the series 1-1. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - MAY 14: Mathieu Perreault #85 of the Winnipeg Jets gets set during a third period face-off against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Two of the Western Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 14, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Knights defeated the Jets 3-1 to tie the series 1-1. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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When a team is successful, you need those high-end bottom six players. The dudes who can kill penalties but play on the powerplay. And the second line, if they have to. Those guys. The Winnipeg Jets need one of those guys, too.

The Winnipeg Jets have one of those guys! The old Brian Boyle, Jesper Fast, Chris Kunitz, Rick Nash vibe. Oh yeah, I forget Nash is a former first overall pick who always sees top six time.

But damn he would be great in this role. Maybe he’ll ease into it now that teams know he’s not…y’know, really good. I digress.

The Winnipeg Jets have Mathieu Perreault. He’s coming off of a 17 goal, 39 point season in 70 contests. Rock solid. Solidly buried on the hype chart behind the Jets stars.

Truth is, Perreault gets underrated.  Every team needs a guy that the media and fans look past. Heck, even we underrate Perreault over here, mostly because I don’t feel like typing his name out. Not really, he’s just really sneaky and under the radar.

One of those gritty, does his job type players. I know who doesn’t underrate Perreault. His agent and the Winnipeg Jets. After a career high 43 points in his one season stopover in Anaheim, the  Jets gave him a three year deal worth $3mm per.

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Over those three seasons, he gave the Jets 127 points in 198 games, good for a .64ppg. That’s a guy who could be on the second line on a  lot of teams, and the Jets put him there when necessary. But, he’s their bottom six glue guy.

The Winnipeg Jets gave him an extension of four years at $4.125mm per. That’s not underrated money. They value him, and they know he can be an integral part on their next winner. That came quicker than expected (This past season, if you forgot).

He missed time with an injury in the playoffs and scored just one goal in nine games. With zero assists. Winnipeg missed his production, but such is life. Nobody mentioned him being an important part of the team, and how losing him for the playoffs was a big deal (he played in the Vegas series, so there’s that).

Next: Five Reasons Jets Could Improve in 2018-2019

Look, what is there to say about Mathieu Perreault? He goes out there, competes, and competes well. Maybe you forget about him because he looks like Adam Goldberg on skates in a movie that takes place in the 70s. But he’s good. And he’s useful. He’s just not cheap anymore. But that’s okay.

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