The Winnipeg Jets Re-Imagined: The NHL Meets the NFL

The Winnipeg Jets open their season next month. Another league, the NFL, opens their season in just a few short days. I figured this would be a good time to scour the NFL rosters and try and find comparisons for our Jets. Maybe even…on the Jets.

The Winnipeg Jets are becoming a more well-known hockey team. I saw a tweet the other day, asking which team was going to win the Stanley Cup. It only took me about fifty replies to get to an answer that said Jets.

In the second round of the playoffs last season, it was roughly 200. Progress? Progress. But while they’re fighting their own fight with casual NHL fans (And winning that battle), I’m here doing it for everyone else.

By taking the stars from the Jets and trying to find perfect comps for them among the NFL rosters, I’m providing a service. Do you love the NFL but struggle to find ground when trying to watch NHL hockey? I’m here to help.

Do you love Adrian Peterson?  Well, he’s exactly like Blake Wheeler in every imaginable way. Why?  Because I just picked those names at random and Peterson doesn’t even appear on this list.  But whatever, I just wanted to prep you for what’s going down.

Was their any doubt our big boy was going to be a running back? Bruising, punishing and fearsome, this was an easy call.

The only difficulty would be, which running back? I thought about Le’Veon Bell. I thought about Saquon Barkley, but he’s more like…Herschel Walker. I even considered Brandon Jacobs, but he’s retired. Same for Patrick Willis.

Dustin Byfuglien will have to settle for the LSU product and personal favorite, Leonard Fournette. Fournette is big and strong, and while he’s not a blazer (4.51 40 yard dash), he has enough speed and power to get by.

Long strides? Check. Punishing hits? Also check. We’ll call Fournette’s big play ability as a booming slapshot. Well, I guess he’s less LeSean McCoy with the big plays, but whatever. He can score, he can run.

The biggest thing? He’s a workhorse. He was fourth in the NFL in attempts per game, at 20.6. Right behind Bell, Ezekiel Elliott and….Adrian Peterson? Sure. That’s a thing I totally expected to see.

I’m assuming that bulk of work is what makes Fournette so valuable in fantasy football. I snagged him in my draft this past week. But there you have it. Big, moves well, punishes people and has a huge workload. Dustin Byfuglien, meet your NFL match.

When you think about the best quarterbacks in the league, the usual suspects come up: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees. But while those guys are elite, there are some players that are special in their ability to occasionally do a thing nobody else thought possible.

Deshaun Watson became that player. He has a small sample size of success, yes, but Patrik Laine does, too. Nobody doubts Laine’s ability, but two seasons is two seasons. I’m not suggesting he’s going to fall off a cliff.

Laine has obvious staying power. Few people have a shot and a release like him. He’s not the most well-rounded wing, and he’s not the best. Great, yes. But I don’t think anyone would throw him in the running for best, yet.

Watson? He’s not the best QB in the league, zero chance. For now. Watson played only seven games last year, but he threw for 19 touchdowns.  He ran for two more.  Watson was explosive, he was volatile and he was fun.

Quick release? Laine’s got one, as does Watson. Impressive scoring ability? Check. These two are not what you would normally think of as comps, but hey, it fits. These two, while not yet established as the best at their spot, have the ability to take over any game at any time.

DeAndre Hopkins is a first round pick with an interesting career path. After being a steady target, things took a turn and he didn’t have the same production for a year.

But, with a new QB last season, Hopkins regained that shine…And played like one of the best wide receivers in the sport.

DeAndre Hopkins and Connor Hellebuyck were both supposed to be good.  Hopkins was good, pretty much immediately, but struggled two years ago with a poor QB situation. I suppose I shouldn’t blame that on him.

But much in the same way, we tend to go easier on goaltenders who have bad teams in front of them.  Connor Hellebuyck was between the pipes for a weaker Winnipeg Jets squad, and he paid the price dearly.

Do I think Connor Hellebuyck can be one of the best goaltenders in the league? He’s clearly shown he’s capable. Will he?  Tough to say. I’m interested to see what both of these players can do to follow up elite seasons.

Hopkins will have a full year of, you guessed it, Deshaun Watson. He’s out to prove he can produce like the established greats. The Odell Beckham, Antonio Brown tier.  Connor Hellebuyck has the Jet defense in front of him.

He also has one of the best scoring teams out there, so he’ll have plenty of leads. But can he keep the Jets in tough games? Let’s find out.

When you think of Tyreek Hill, you think of explosiveness.  He doesn’t necessarily possess the talent of some of the others, but few are more explosive.  He can turn anything into a big play and come out of nowhere.

Players like that are important. Is he the best? No.  But can he turn a game upside down in one big play? Zero question. Speed thrills in the NFL, and the NHL is no different.

Every team wants a guy that can catch up to the puck on defense, and also get behind that defense and make a big play exactly when you need it.

Not all of these players are stars (Michael Grabner), but hey, it’s an important tool to have. Like Trea Turner before, and Nikolaj Ehlers, Tyreek Hill possesses fantastic speed. Hill had nine receptions of more than forty yards last season.

Four return (kick and punt) touchdowns in his two seasons as well. Hill is still developing in his third season,  and so is Ehlers. I don’t need to tell you about Ehlers’ speed. The guy can move it.

And while they both had very solid statistical seasons last year, the expectation is that they can both continue to get better and into the upper echelon of players at their position.

They’re young. They’re fast. They can change the game in one single play. Tyreek Hill is a human highlight reel. Nikolaj Ehlers can be, too. Speed is an unteachable asset, and they both have it in spades.