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The Winnipeg Jets Season Review: The Face of the Franchcise

By Kyle McCarthy

LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 16: Patrik Laine #29 of the Winnipeg Jets skates to the bench in Game Three of the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 16, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 16: Patrik Laine #29 of the Winnipeg Jets skates to the bench in Game Three of the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 16, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Winnipeg Jets really burst onto the scene this past season, coming second in the league in points and reaching the Western Conference Final. A former second overall pick was leading the charge.

The Winnipeg Jets don’t have Patrik Laine as their captain. He didn’t lead the team in points last season, and he isn’t the best overall player on the team.

But damn is he good, and damn is he fun. In his rookie season –the one right before this one, in case you forgot– he  scored 36 goals and finished second in the Calder race to Auston Matthews.

We then knew then that this kid was special. Eighteen year-olds don’t score 36 goals in the world’s best hockey league. But bam, here he was. And his age 19 season wasn’t a disappointment.

Patrik Laine finished second in the league in goals, just behind (who else?) Alex Ovechkin. He led the league in powerplay goals with 20. You know, one more than years he’s spent on the earth.

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Entering his 20s (he arrived there in mid-April), we can safely expect Laine to continue to improve. Right? He’s already really big, listed at 6’5 and 206lbs (196cm, 93kg), but I’d expect him to add some muscle.

He’s definitely strong, but he could be more of a force around the boards with improved strength. Laine protects the puck well, and obviously has one of the top shots in the league. I mean, this dude had a 17.6% shooting percentage in his rookie year and turned it into 18.3% in his sophomore season.

"I love Winnipeg. This is my home. These are my people now. I play for them. It’s a great, great city."

Laine is not without flaws, but pretty much every player has flaws. He lacks top-end skating ability, but I think the rest of the team pretty much makes up for it. But he’s not the one-dimensional sniper that he might appear to be.

Yes, he played poorly in the playoffs. But yes, I’m willing to chalk it up to fatigue, just as I did with the rest of the youngsters. Give him some time to get used to playing hockey that much, and he’ll show up.

I believe in Laine. You believe, too. Winnipeg believes in Patrik Laine, just as he believes in Winnipeg.  Just see his quote above from his piece in the Player’s Tribune.

I’m not one to always wax poetic about players, but here I am. Patrik Laine is a transcendent talent and the Winnipeg Jets are lucky to have him.

Next: Stastny Spurns Jets

They’re lucky now, and they’ll still be lucky when they have to pay him about $8mm per season. He’s a hell of a player.

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