Jets White Out
Fansided

The 2018-2019 Winnipeg Jets Reimagined: The NHL Meets MLB

By Kyle McCarthy

A panoramic view of Yankee Stadium during the New York Rangers Vs New York Islanders NHL regular season game held outdoors at Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York, USA. 29th January 2014. Photo Tim Clayton (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
A panoramic view of Yankee Stadium during the New York Rangers Vs New York Islanders NHL regular season game held outdoors at Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York, USA. 29th January 2014. Photo Tim Clayton (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FL – JULY 28: Trea Turner #7 of the Washington Nationals steals third base during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on July 28, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /

These two players stand out for one reason and one reason only: Speed. It thrills in this game, and these are two of the fastest.

Both Nikolaj Ehlers and Trea Turner are among the fastest players in their respective leagues. I’m not certain anyone considers them the fastest, however.

Turner is at fourth on the sprint-speed leaderboard for this season, currently. As an aside, I really wish the NHL had a Statcast equivalent.

Public access to stuff like skating speed, puck velocity and defensive route efficiency would really help revolutionize statistics for NHL fans and writers. I’m assuming the NHL front offices have access to that.

Either way, Ehlers is fast. He’s not the fastest, but he’s in the top 10, I believe. Turner too, obviously. But there’s a separator: Both Tuner and Ehlers are good. They have great tools with good production.

Not great production. Turner lacks elite power, but is a great hitter and uses his speed well. He’s also a solid defender. Nikolaj Ehlers? Lacks an elite shot. Still a good shot. He can be a very good scorer, pushing 30 goals, but he’ll never be someone who breaks 100 points.

Ehlers and Turner are both very good and valuable. They’re not elite superstars, however. And if Trea Turner ever develops more power, or Nikolaj Ehlers really turns his shot into a true snipe, they’ll be superstars.

I wouldn’t count on either one happening, but that doesn’t make either player any less valuable. Look, not everyone’s a superstar. It happens. But good players are good, simple as that.

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