After a surprise playoff visit in 2015, the Winnipeg Jets were unable to duplicate their success this season, as they finished last in the Central Division. However, they have a lot to look forward to next season. Blake Wheeler is one of the players that could be primed for a massive season.
Former Jets captain Andrew Ladd was traded to Chicago on February 25, and Wheeler became the main veteran presence for the Winnipeg forwards. While the Jets were never able to get back into the playoff picture, both Wheeler and Mark Scheifele tore up the stat sheet in the final stretch of the season.
While Scheifele doubled his goal total, Wheeler went on to have 10 goals (six in five April games) and 13 assists (ten in March). He went on to match his goal total from last year’s season, but he also had career highs in assists (52) and points (78). Not bad for a team that regressed offensively.
Wheeler will likely start next season on the same line as Scheifele as they try to continue the momentum that they created at the end of this past season. But next year could be even better for Wheeler because Scheifele is not the only other potential offensive weapon. First, Bryan Little should return after missing the final two months of the season with a fractured vertebra. He had 17 goals and 25 assists in 57 games.
Also, there are plenty of younger players that could emerge next season and make a dangerous line with Wheeler. Including Scheifele, eight forwards currently on the roster are a restricted free agent either this year or during the next two years. Within those players, Joel Armia, Nikolaj Ehlers, Andrew Copp, and Alexander Burmistrov went on point streaks at different points of the season.
It is also worth mentioning that Kyle Connor, Winnipeg’s first round pick last season, could be a serious offensive threat in the near future after scoring 35 goals and 36 assists at the University of Michigan this season. Then there is the player that the Jets take with the #2 pick in this year’s draft, and that player (potentially Patrik Laine?) could make an immediate impact next year.
Wheeler has lots of similarities to San Jose’s Joe Pavelski, who has been an offensive threat for almost his entire career. After 38 goals and 40 assists this season, he added 13 goals in the first three rounds of this year’s postseason and is just four wins away from being the captain of a Stanley Cup Champion franchise.
Wheeler is slightly younger than Pavelski, and he finished with the same amount of points this season. He also could be the captain for Winnipeg next season, a role that Pavelski took over in San Jose this season.
The Jets will likely need plenty of things to their way if they want to go to the Stanley Cup Finals, but anything is possible considering the Sharks missed the playoffs last year. Wheeler has the task of leading what could be a league-wide dangerous first line next year, and he could at the top of the NHL’s radar if the Jets make their presence felt next season. With Scheifele, Ehlers, and possibly Laine behind Wheeler, that might not be far-fetched as perceived.