Winnipeg Jets: 3 Players to Watch The Rest of the 21-22 Season
The Winnipeg Jets still are halfway into the 2021-2022 regular season remaining. Here are three Jets players to watch the rest of the season
Although the Winnipeg Jets are at the All-Star break, they are only halfway into this regular season. Even with forty-two games played, there have been a significant number of surprises for the Jets including Paul Maurice’s resignation, and where the Jets currently sit in the standings.
We have also seen some players perform extremely well and above expectations, while other players have struggled so far this season.
With that being said, there are a number of players to watch during the remainder of the season to see if they can continue their great start to the season or if they can find their form.
Here are three Winnipeg players to keep an eye on the rest of the 2021-2022 season:
3. Mark Scheifele
Mark Scheifele is one player who is performing below expectations this season and has been the subject of many articles in the past couple of days regarding his performances.
Scheifele missed some time at the beginning of the season due to being added to the COVID-protocol, but up to this point, he has appeared in 36 games. He has 10 goals, 19 assists, and a minus-12 plus/minus. His plus/minus is rated worst on the Jets.
But the great thing for the Scheifele and the Jets is they are only at the halfway point of the season.
We all know what Scheifele is capable of. Since the 2015-2016 season, Scheifele has finished each season among the top-three Jets players in points scored.
This is the main reason to watch out for Scheifele. He has not hit the heights or the high level of performances from years prior.
It will be interesting to watch Scheifele during the second half of the season. Will he pick up his game and return to being a game changing player or will he continue on this slump that we have not seen throughout his NHL career?
2. Connor Hellebuyck
The 2019-2020 Vezina Trophy Winner, Connor Hellebuyck, has never had a season where he finished with a below .500 record, but through 35 games started, he has a 14-15-6 record.
The twenty-eight-year-old is also tied for his career-high in goals against average (2.90) and has his second-worst career save percentage (.910). Also, the goaltender is winless in his last seven starts.
Up to the halfway point of this season, Hellebuyck has seen the second-most shots among NHL goaltenders and has the fourth most games played. A heavy workload is not anything new to the Jets’ number one goaltender.
Just like the Jets’ performances this season, Hellebuyck has not been as consistent as we have seen in seasons past. Also, the Jets defense has struggled in front of him and the Jets are middle of the league in average goals against per game (2.95). This comes after Winnipeg has finished among the top-ten teams in the NHL in goals against average the past two seasons.
Hellebuyck is one of the main reasons the Jets have been extremely successful over the past couple of seasons and the Jets will definitely rely on him as they look to climb out of a hole and make a push for the playoffs.
1. Kyle Connor
Forty-two games into this regular season, there is a great argument to be made that Kyle Connor has been the Jets’ most consistent player this season and he has been rewarded by being named as the Jets’ lone representative at the All-Star Game this season.
The Shelby Township, Michigan native currently leads the Jets in goals (25), assists (20), and points (45). He also has an outstanding 14 powerplay points and four game winning goals.
Connor is on pace to have the best statistical season of his career and is looking to pass his career-high in points, which is 73 that he amassed in 71 games during the shortened 2019-2020 regular season.
Throughout the past couple of seasons, Connor has always been either leading Winnipeg in points or the top three leaders in the team in points scored.
Connor’s production is even more outstanding when you take into account how injuries and COVID-19 has effected the 21-22 Jets. This has led to constant personnel changes in the Jets’ lineup and who is on a line with Connor. Regardless of who Connor is on the ice with, he has found a way to step up and be one of the Jets’ top performers game-in and game-out.
There is no doubt, that Connor will be relied on heavily the rest of the season as the Jets look to get back into playoff position.
Winnipeg Jets Fans: Do you think the Winnipeg Jets will make the postseason? Leave your comments below!
dark. Next. All You Need to Know: Kyle Connor and All-Star Weekend