Gone Puck Wild
Fansided

Looking at the Competition in the Central Division

By Lake Martin

ST. PAUL, MN - AUGUST 22: Craig Leipold, owner of the Minnesota Wild, listens as Bill Guerin answers questions from the media as the new general manager for the team at a press conference at Xcel Energy Center on August 22, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - AUGUST 22: Craig Leipold, owner of the Minnesota Wild, listens as Bill Guerin answers questions from the media as the new general manager for the team at a press conference at Xcel Energy Center on August 22, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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ST. LOUIS, MO – APRIL 20: Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (55) gets ready to take a face-off during a first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs game between the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues, on April 20, 2019, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO – APRIL 20: Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (55) gets ready to take a face-off during a first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs game between the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues, on April 20, 2019, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Is it good or bad I didn’t write this a week ago? Pro to writing now: I was fully prepared to attack their RFA situation and then they promptly signed both Patrick Laine and Kyle Connor. Con: I might have been excited to attack their RFA situation because I might still be a little annoyed about the Wild-Jets series from 2018.

Anyways what a wild offseason for the Jets. Essentially forced to trade Jacob Trouba for a draft pick and statistical nightmare Neal Pionk and also might lose DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN. Let’s talk about that later though.

Biggest Strength: Incredible Offense and Suitable Goaltending

The way I look at the Winnipeg Jets now is similar to how I look at the Blackhawks during their dynasty. Prodigous goalscoring and Prolific goaltending. Blake Wheeler quarterbacked the fifth-best powerplay in the league, Kyle Connor has spectacular speed, Nikolaj Ehlers has the potential to be TJ Oshie, and speaking of comparisons to Capital players, Patrick Laine is the truest goal scorer since Alex Ovechkin. Haven’t even mentioned Mark Scheifele who might be the quietest elite players in the NHL. Connor Hellebuyck is a robot in net, he was programmed well.

Biggest Weakness: Defense and Consistency

I remember their top four being terrifying with defensive towers Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers, and defensive stalwarts Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey. In a nightmare situation, only one of these guys will remain and Morrissey would probably be your second or third choice (behind Trouba and Big Buf), especially with how unique Dustin Byfuglien is as a defenseman. There are plenty of defensemen like Josh Morrissey and Jacob Trouba, but Buf? Not at all.

Let’s look back at the Patrick Laine claim I made just a mere paragraph ago, “Truest goal scorer since Alex Ovechkin”. While I believe that to be true, there is a severe consistency issue with Laine. He’s a thirty goal scorer, which already places him in elite company. He scored eighteen of those thirty in November. Cup half full, that’s an incredible stat. Cup half empty, he scored twelve for the rest of the season, which is unacceptable. Eighteen a month is an unreasonable expectation, but he can’t disappear for long periods like he did last season. Then to complain about those he was playing with? Woof. Also, Laine was a minus twenty-four forward last year. Yikes. Laine is a dog on defense, not a strong back checker, little to no effort. The epitome of a one-dimensional player. Ovi is at least an imposing player at both ends of the ice.

Winnipeg could have an odd season. They could either be pretty good again and make the playoffs, but with that defense, they could just as easily have a tragic season.

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