Jets get contributions from everybody to tie franchise-record winning streak

WINNIPEG — Everyone used to view these Winnipeg Jets as Connor Hellebuyck and Co. 

Maybe there was some truth to it.  

Hellebuyck was the only thing keeping this team relevant in the years following the 2018 Western Conference Final run, where a once-promising Cup contender veered into mushy middle territory. 

That’s not the case anymore, though. That’s not a slight on the best goaltender on the planet, who is making a legitimate case to win the Hart Trophy. It’s just that he’s far from the only reason why Winnipeg is the NHL’s best team. 

They’ve got the best power play in the league. Two players in Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor who have gone from stars to superstars.  A bonafide No. 1 defenceman in Josh Morrissey. An exceptional wave of secondary players in Nikolaj Ehlers, Gabriel Vilardi, Dylan Samberg and Neal Pionk. 

But above all, the driving force behind the Jets becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender — versus a team that could maybe win a round or two — is the collective growth of this group.

“You need extremely strong goaltending to win in this league. We obviously know what we have there. But the biggest thing is how much contribution we get from everybody,” Scott Arniel said after Friday’s 4-3 win over the New York Islanders. “We had a ton of injuries to our defence. We had people step up. Our depth, look at what’s happening right now with (Adam Lowry) and (Morgan Barron) out. A lot of guys have stepped up. That’s the stuff that I see. That’s why we’re more of a team than maybe some people think we are.”

What Arniel sees is palpable to anyone who follows this team closely.

Coming into the year, this team wanted to be held to a higher standard. They wanted to be coached like a team striving to form Stanley Cup habits, not just put together a solid regular season. And every single time they’ve faced adversity, they’ve responded with authority.

When the Toronto Maple Leafs ended Winnipeg’s eight-game win streak in late October — in a game that was more lopsided than the 6-4 final score indicates — the Jets went on to rack up another seven-game win streak. When the Florida Panthers blanked them 5-0 in November, they responded with a convincing 6-3 win over the defending Stanley Cup champions the following game. And their current eight-game win streak comes on the heels of that “embarrassing” 5-2 loss to Utah two weeks ago. 

What you’re seeing now is a group of players — the majority of which have remained largely intact over the last three years (and beyond) — learning from their past mistakes.

In the past, a tough loss would often cause a snowball effect.

“I think when something doesn’t go our way, it’s not the end of the world,” Cole Perfetti said. “We get down in a game, or we lose a game, or whatever. A play doesn’t go our way, our call doesn’t go away. We’re not, you know, getting on each other, getting on the refs, and kind of having that negative energy. We’re staying positive, and we’re not letting the past shifts affect our next ones.” 

And they’re not resting on their laurels, either.

“Now the big push comes,” Arniel said. “The last 26 are going to be the stuff that prepares us for Game 83.”

Hey Macarena 

Vilardi is in line for a fat payday this summer. 

The 25-year-old — whose two goals on Friday helped him reach a career-high season total (24) — is on pace for 35 goals and 75 points. 

“That line is extremely dangerous because he’s one-third of that mix,” Arniel said. 

Vilardi, an expiring RFA with arbitration rights after this season, can become a UFA after the 2026-27 season. The knee-jerk reaction is to say, “Lock him up long-term,” and while surely the Jets would like to keep him in the fold, the rising cap complicates things.

We all know that Connor is going to secure the bag this summer and that’s the kind of deal you have to make, no matter how uncomfortable the dollar figure makes you feel. 

But what about Vilardi? Say he wanted to sign long-term, would the Jets be comfortable hovering around the $8 million mark on a six-plus year extension? Some of you may be screaming “YES” because the cap is rising (when the salary cap hits $113.5 million, an $8 million AAV will equate to seven per cent of the salary cap, or $6.2 million in today’s cap climate).

Keep in mind, as we saw with the Mikko Rantanen trade, just because teams can spend more in the years to come doesn’t mean they’ll all be comfortable paying a premium on their third, fourth and fifth scoring threats.

AFP Analytics projects him to earn a $6.3 million AAV on a four-year deal. That term seems a bit strange — given that it’s a weird middle ground between a bridge and a long-term deal — but it’s undoubtedly better than him signing a two-year deal and walking for nothing in a few years.

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