Seven games past the midway point in the season, the Jets sit in the same position they did last year at the 48-game mark: atop the Central Division. And they’ve done so by maintaining a lot of the trends that got them there last season. They’ve had a dominant record at home, high offensive contributions from Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele, and a goal differential that once again ranks in the top five.
The Jets have been winners in six of their last nine, including a huge 5–1 victory in Nashville which saw the Jets reassert their position as top dogs in the Central Division. Furthermore, the Jets will hold four games in hand over the Predators when they return to action. The Preds are currently just two points back of the Jets.
Interestingly, at this time last year it was the Predators who sat tied for the division lead with games in hand—and we all saw how that played out. I wouldn’t go as far as to say the Jets have a shot at the Presidents’ Trophy, though, because it appears to be a one-team race at this point. (That would be Tampa Bay.) But winning the division, and perhaps more importantly the Western Conference, will be important in order to gain home-ice advantage, as the Jets have struggled on the road this season.
As it stands right now, the Jets have played 26 of their 48 games on home ice, meaning they’ll be on the road for 19 of their last 34 games. This will include a total of five road trips, including two separate trips out east; a three-game trip against the Avalanche, Golden Knights, and Coyotes; a California swing with a pit stop in Vegas; and a four-game trip to close the season that will see them fly from Chicago, to Minnesota, to Denver, and then finally to Arizona.
Other interesting schedule factoids: they only play nine more games against Central opponents. Perhaps even more noteworthy, they only have four more back-to-backs.
There’s a whole lot to like about the Jets’ schedule heading into the second half of the season. With plenty of days between games to work with, Paul Maurice should have the time and opportunity to work out any final kinks the Jets may have.
Of course, there are few issues to be concerned about. The second line has struggled to play consistently all season, no matter who’s played there, and Connor Hellebuyck hasn’t performed at the same level he did last season.
Some may be wondering what GM Kevin Chevaldayoff is thinking about as we approach the trade deadline. Will he be hesitant to add after Stastny walked at the end of last season? Who might he be looking at? These are all great questions and they’ll be answered in a separate trade deadline space.
For today, I thought it would be more fitting to talk about the Jets’ two all-stars: Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The two sit eleventh and twelfth in league scoring respectively and are both on pace to break Ilya Kovalchuk’s franchise record for points in one season (98), set back when the Jets were the Thrashers.
It’s no secret that Mark Scheifele is a top player. Heading to his second all-star game in three seasons, he has developed not just into a game breaker, but one of the league’s best. Exactly where he ranks amongst centres is up for debate, but on most lists you’ll find him anywhere from third to seventh, which is high praise for the franchise’s first-ever draft pick.
For Wheeler, he has represented the Jets in each of the last seven all-star games, missing only the first year he became a Jet. Scheifele may hit the higher ceiling as far as career peaks go, but watching Wheeler’s career trajectory since coming to Winnipeg has been a treat.
While most of the Jets’ forward group has had trouble finding consistency—excluding the Lowry line—this pair has been the backbone to the Jets’ offense. And I say that knowing what Kyle Connor has done this season.
The fact of the matter is that on too many nights the Jets’ second and fourth lines have looked mediocre. Part of that can be attributed to health, and it doesn’t help with Ehlers set to miss significant time. So is there a move for Chevy to make? Stay tuned.