The Winnipeg Jets have started their 2023-24 campaign with a middling 7-5-2 record, with the New Jersey Devils next up on the schedule. Despite their record, they have been one of the best teams in the NHL at even-strength. Their special teams and goaltending have started slow, but if you are a Jets fan, there is a lot to be excited about given how they’ve played early on this season.
One of those reasons to be excited is because of 21-year-old winger, Cole Perfetti. He is off to an underrated start to his third season in the NHL, one that is a contract year, as he is a pending restricted free agent (RFA) this upcoming offseason.
Cole Perfetti is Driving Up the Price of His Next Contract
Last season, Perfetti played 51 games and posted 30 points before having his season cut short due to a shoulder injury. As the former 10th overall selection of the 2020 NHL draft, Perfetti’s talent has been on full display early to start this year, and he looks to be feeling more comfortable with each passing shift.
Of all players on the Jets, he leads the team at even strength in points on a per 60-minute basis. Nino Niederreiter, Mark Scheifele, and Mason Appleton trial him in that category as he continues to produce at a high level.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Jets’ 3-Game Winning Streak
The storylines surrounding the Jets forward group have been focused on the top line, and Adam Lowry’s line, and rightfully so given how well they’ve produced. The lack of coverage results in the second line flying under the radar as an analytically dominant line, even with Nikolaj Ehlers continuing to work his way back up to full speed.
According to Money Puck, the second-line of Ehlers, Perfetti, and Vladislav Namestnikov is currently holding a 56.7 percent expected goals percentage, a 59.4 percent Corsi %, and have outscored their opponents 4-3 in 101 minutes together.
Gabriel Vilardi is currently four weeks removed from suffering an MCL sprain, which was set to sideline him for 4-6 weeks, making his return imminent. When he is able to return, you may see him slide in between Ehlers and Perfetti on that second line, therefore bumping Namesntikov back down to the fourth line. That could elevate the second line even further and put them in the same conversations as the lines around them.
Cole Perfetti Has Been Responsible at Both Ends of the Ice
Much of the conversation around Perfetti’s start to the season was focused on him being benched late in games while the Jets are trying to protect leads. That conversation has cooled a bit as Perfetti has seen an uptick in ice time during November. In Oct, he averaged 13:18 minutes per game, and that number has climbed up to 15:10 in the month of Nov.
A lot of that can be attributed to him being promoted to the top power-play unit, but he is also beginning to gain the trust of the coaching staff in his own end of the ice. This player card from Evolving Hockey shows that he has been a net positive defensively, at least by the analytics, through the first 14 games of the season.
Perfetti posting positive defensive analytics in his third season is a massive development for the Jets organization, and an awfully good sign going forward. Plenty has been said about his 5-foot-11, 185-pound frame, and his inability to win puck battles along the wall, and yet he has still been able to post those positive results.
Jets Continue Five-Game Home Stand on Tuesday vs. Devils
The Jets have secured points in eight of their past 10 games, and they look to continue that stretch of play on Tuesday, Nov. 14 against the Devils. Their home stand wraps up with a back-to-back on Friday, Nov 17 and Saturday, Nov 18, against the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes.
The Jets have been able to flex their five-on-five muscle early on in the season, leading the NHL in expected goals against per 60. They have been a dominant group at even strength, and if they can bring their special teams’ units to league average, they could find themselves on a winning streak sooner rather than later.