The Winnipeg Jets are fresh off of their fifth win of the season over the Arizona Coyotes, in a game that saw the third-line dominate yet again on their way to a 5-3 victory. The Jets’ early season record of 5-4-2 is somewhat misleading, as Connor Hellebuyck got off to a slow start, and their special teams have been costing them some very winnable games.
Stepping away from a team-wide view, here are three individual players who are exceeding their expectations for the Jets early on in the 2023-24 season.
Mason Appleton
Mason Appleton has been one-third of one of the best forward lines across the entire NHL. He has three goals, six assists, and nine points through 11 games, which are all well above his career averages. He and Adam Lowry have always been a fit stylistically on the defensive side of the puck, but this offensive explosion has come nowhere.
Appleton’s career-high in points is 25, which he recorded back in the 56-game 2020-21 season. His 82-game pace that season shakes out to 17 goals, 19 assists, and 36 points. He is a big reason why that third line has been as effective as it has, and why the Jets have been able to remain afloat amid the special teams and goaltending issues.
Appleton made an observation after the Coyotes game on Saturday, Nov. 4th, when he stated “For all the people that love the analytics out there, if you look at the five-on-five, we’ve been the better team a lot of nights…” He’s correct, as according to Money Puck’s analytical tracking, the Jets are near the top 10 in expected goals percentage (xG%), they are fourth in the NHL in Corsi percentage, and top 10 in Goals % at five-on-five. They have been excellent at even strength, and if the special teams can find their groove, they are going to start winning a lot more games.
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Is an offensive regression coming for this line? Potentially, as Appleton’s shooting percentage (S%) is currently at a staggering 17.6 percent, which is up over 10 percent from a season ago when he posted a S% of 7.0. That may not be sustainable over an 82-game season, but it’s a pleasant surprise from a line in which most expected to be of the “shutdown” variety.
Nino Niederreiter
Another key factor to that line’s success is Nino Niederreiter, who has an impressive five goals and four assists through the first 11 games of the 2023-24 campaign. He has always been a consistent goal scorer throughout his entire career, but many Jets fans are pleasantly surprised at his play early on this season.
Related: Jets: 10 Notable Numbers Through 10 Games
It’s no secret that Niederreiter is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and the Jets should be looking to do everything in their power to change that as soon as possible. He loves Winnipeg, and on the ice, he’s a top-six forward who can play a physical brand of hockey which works well with Lowry. He remains one of the better trade acquisitions of the Kevin Cheveldayoff Era.
In eight of his NHL seasons, he has either hit the 20-goal mark or was on pace for it before injury brought him short of that number. Niederreiter is a model of consistency for a middle-six forward, and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
A contract extension may be coming sooner rather than later, as it was reported by Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun, that Niederreiter’s agent will be in Winnipeg this week. This news came after his hat-trick performance on Saturday against the Coyotes, and Jets fans seemed to be all-aboard the “extend Niederreiter” train.
Cole Perfetti
Cole Perfetti has quietly been one of the most productive forwards at even-strength for the Jets this season. With only one goal on the season, Perfetti has affected the game with his vision, passing, playmaking, and responsible even-strength defensive play.
Plays such as the one below, where he subtly shoulder checks to look for a teammate, locates David Gustafsson heading for the slot directly from the bench and is able to hit him with a solid backhand pass right in the wheelhouse and Gustaffson makes no mistake, are becoming all the more routine for the 21-year-old centre.
He’s recorded seven assists in 11 games to begin the season, and a strong start was needed for Perfetti. After missing a large chunk of the previous two seasons due to upper-body injuries, it’s a good sign for both Jets fans and management that he has shrugged that off early this season.
The coaches have yet to trust him in a late game with the lead, but that may be something that changes later on in the season as he continues building that defensive trust. He has been more than trustworthy at the other end of the ice, even seeing a bump to the top power-play unit. If Perfetti continues to build trust with the always-dynamic Nikolaj Ehlers, and the steady-veteran Vladislav Namesntikov, the second-line could begin to put up eye-popping offensive point totals.
These three individuals will look to continue their expectation-exceeding ways when the Jets travel to St. Louis to take on the Blues. Puck drop is set for 7:00CT on Nov. 7, with the forward and defensive lines expected to remain the same.
