The Winnipeg Jets have been one of the NHL’s best stories this season. However, they received some bad news on Tuesday when it was announced that forward Mark Scheifele would be out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.
Scheifele is in his sixth year in the NHL and is having one of his best seasons. He’s only played in 49 games but he has 51 points, which is among the best point-per-game marks in the NHL. His 51 points are third for the Jets, even though he’s played 16 games less than Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine.
The concern is that the playoffs are right around the corner, so if this is a long-term injury, it’s going to have a sizable impact on this team. He’s the No. 1 center on the team. They are currently second in the Western Conference with 223 goals scored so far, but you can expect a dip in performance with him out of the lineup. The good news is that the Jets were without him for all of January and still managed to go 10-2-3 in the 15 games he missed. However, going into the playoffs without him would be a concern.
Odds To Win The 2018 Stanley Cup
Tampa Bay Lightning 23/4
Vegas Golden Knights 23/4
Nashville Predators 7/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 7/1
Boston Bruins 8/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 10/1
Winnipeg Jets 10/1
Washington Capitals 14/1
Anaheim Ducks 20/1
Dallas Stars 22/1
Minnesota Wild 25/1
Philadelphia Flyers 25/1
San Jose Sharks 25/1
St. Louis Blues 25/1
Los Angeles Kings 33/1
Calgary Flames 40/1
New Jersey Devils 50/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 66/1
Colorado Avalanche 66/1
Florida Panthers 75/1
New York Islanders 75/1
Carolina Hurricanes 100/1
Chicago Blackhawks 300/1
Detroit Red Wings 300/1
Odds courtesy of BetDSI.
The fan base and front office aren’t expecting to merely be happy with a playoff appearance as this team is currently in a tie for second place in the West with 89 points. The thinking was that this team could be built for a deep playoff run – especially with no clear-cut stalwarts in contention like the Chicago Blackhawks or Anaheim Ducks.
Even though the Jets lost Scheifele on Tuesday night, they managed to top the hapless New York Rangers 3-0. They’ve now won three straight and eight of 10. They’ve been one of the best teams in the NHL since the end of December, winning 20 of their last 29 games. We’ll see if they can carry that momentum into the playoffs as Scheifele remains sidelined.
