Jets MVP so far this season debated by NHL.com writers

The Winnipeg Jets are the most successful team in the NHL with the quarter mark of the season approaching Saturday.

The Jets (16-3-0) have the NHL’s best point percentage (.842), the most regulation wins (13), the most goals (80) and the best goal differential (plus-34).

They have a three-point lead on the Minnesota Wild in the race for both the Central Division title and the Presidents’ Trophy, awarded to the team with the League’s best record.

Winnipeg, which hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins (7-10-4) on Friday (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, NHLN, TSN3, TVAS), became the fastest team in NHL history to reach 15 wins (16 games) while adapting to new coach Scott Arniel. He took over for Rick Bowness, who retired after the Jets were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season.

There are many reasons for Winnipeg’s success.

The Jets have an elite goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck, a talented defenseman corps anchored by Neal Pionk and Josh Morrissey, and run four lines deep at forward.

But who has been the most valuable member of the Jets though the first seven weeks of the season?

Here are the answers to that question, in alphabetical order, from a panel of NHL.com staffers.

Scott Arniel

I'm taking a different approach to this exercise by choosing the coach as my MVP. Defenseman Haydn Fleury and goalie Eric Comrie are the new players to the roster this season, and Arniel, who spent the previous two seasons as an associate coach under Bowness, has a real good grasp of what makes the Jets tick. He's familiar with his players and has identified the various roles in which each can excel and offer Winnipeg its best chance for success. The Jets have Hellebuyck and 11 players with at least 10 points, including Morrissey (19 points; two goals, 17 assists) and Pionk (17 points; three goals, 14 assists), each of whom ranks among the top six in points among defensemen. Sure, Arniel has the talent to work with, but it takes a coach with patience and experience to know how to put it all together, and Arniel has done just that. -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

Kyle Connor

The forward is one of the most underrated players in the NHL, tied with center Mark Scheifele for the Jets lead in goals (12) and points (24) after opening the season with 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) during a 12-game point streak. What’s more valuable than someone who can score as consistently as Connor does? He has had between 31 and 47 goals in six of the past seven seasons. The season he didn’t, he had 26 goals in 56 games in 2020-21, when the schedule was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s a 38-goal pace. Dating to 2017-18, his first full NHL season, Connor has 253 goals, ninth most in the NHL. He has 34 more than his closest teammate, Scheifele. There are many good choices. But for once, let’s give Connor his due. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Nikolaj Ehlers

One of the biggest strengths of the Jets this season has been their secondary scoring, which is something Ehlers brings. The 28-year-old has developed into an excellent two-way forward. He has 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in 19 games this season, continuing his steady production since entering the NHL in 2015-16. Ehlers has been one of the Jets’ most consistent players since the beginning of last season and has been the main reason for the success of the second line. He was plus-27 last season and is plus-9 this season. Ehlers is a player Winnipeg can’t afford to lose. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

It’s easy to consider Hellebuyck here, but he’s not alone in my book. The Jets lead the NHL in goals, so I’m looking at a player who’s been part of that. I’m going with Ehlers. The left wing is on pace to shatter his NHL career high of 64 points he set in 2016-17. His nine goals are third on Winnipeg behind Scheifele and Connor. Ehlers has been one of the Jets’ most reliable performers in his time with them and he’s at it again. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Connor Hellebuyck

The goalie is the biggest reason why the Jets can play with so much confidence. It's because of the trust he instills in them with his consistently excellent play. Hellebuyck is 13-2-0 with a 2.20 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and three shutouts. He's the leading contender for the Vezina Trophy, which goes to the NHL's best goalie. But look deeper at his stats through NHL Edge and you'll see an .817 save percentage against high-danger shots on goal; the League average is .809. He has a .900 save percentage or better in 10 of his 15 starts, 66.7 percent; the League average was 52.3 percent. Fact: Hellebuyck is stopping shots that would be goals against other goalies. An extra one or two of those per game is the difference between a win or a loss. The Jets are getting contributions from up and down the lineup this season, but it all starts with Hellebuyck, the team's clear MVP. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Dan comprehensively dug deep into the analytical data that clearly shows how dominant Hellebuyck has been among NHL goalies. But it’s more than that. Watch the 31-year-old this season and he appears to be playing with a chip on his shoulder, a retribution tour of sorts for the five-game loss to the Avalanche in the first round, when he had a 5.23 GAA and .870 save percentage. He’s come back with a vengeance from that and has positioned himself as the leader for the No. 1 role for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Josh Morrissey

There are a lot of players -- as well as coaches -- who have contributed to this great start, and it wouldn’t be surprising to me if Morrissey is overlooked in this conversation, as he has been in the voting for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman the past two seasons. How important is Morrissey to the Jets’ success? He leads them in averaging 24:20 in ice time per game, including a team-high 3:09 on the power play, which is ranked first in the NHL at 35.7 percent. Morrissey has 19 points, which is tied for second in the NHL among defensemen, including eight on the power play (one goal, seven assists). All top teams usually include a top defenseman, and Morrissey fits that bill. -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

Neal Pionk

This defenseman is neither as well known nor as accomplished as Morrissey, but it is that fact that makes him the MVP. The elevation of his game is telling. He has 17 points, which is tied for sixth among NHL defensemen, which is more than halfway to the 33 points he scored in 82 games each of the past two seasons. He has a plus-10 rating, tied for the best in his eight NHL seasons (2019-20). He makes the Jets better at each end of the ice than they were in the past and he has allowed Arniel to be more creative in the allocation of ice time. Isn’t that the definition of value? -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

Mark Scheifele

It’s hard to argue against Hellebuyck, who’s on course to win the Vezina Trophy for the third time, but let’s give some MVP love to this veteran center. In addition to being tied for the Winnipeg points lead, the 31-year-old has 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in a 10-game home point streak, leads Jets forwards in ice time per game (20:12), is tied with Connor for the most game-winning goals (three) and is tied with Morrissey for the most power-play assists (seven). He’s been very consistent on a team that consistently wins, going without a point in only four games this season. Though Scheifele doesn’t get the national attention that Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Connor Bedard receive, his play is not only worthy of Jets MVP honors, but also consideration for a spot on Canada’s roster in the 4 Nations Face-Off. -- William Douglas, staff writer