Why on God's green earth would we let Connor go, one of the most consistent goal scorers in the league and keep someone like Ehlers who can never seem to either stay healthy or string together long spells of production??
Confirmed with Link: WPG acquiring Nino Niederreiter from NASH for a 24 2nd
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It's pretty clear who the org values more. I'm sure the org will do whatever it can to keep KC. I doubt they bend over backwards to keep Fly. He's already 5th on the top 6 pecking order behind Perfetti and newly acquired Vilardi.
He just doesn't really fit the mold of what the org is trying to build.
Even though Appleton is playing well, I'm moving him before Nino . Nino is exactly the type of player you need come playoffs.
Maukkis
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For keeping Ehlers around, mostly. As little as Connor does outside of scoring goals, he is very much worth keeping and extending - but boy, do I have a bad feeling about what the offense would look like without 27. No Jet can drive offense like he can, and alarmingly few can do it anyway (Connor is not of them). We have seen the shitshow that our offense has been without its playdrivers like Ehlers, prime Scheifele and Perreault before, and it has nearly always been a terrible experience.
That said, this is almost guaranteedly a moot point, since there should be a way to keep both. It involves promoting a lot of prospects to retain cap space, though...
Perfetti drives most of the offense on that 2nd line.
He's pretty much driving all of it as Ehlers has been pretty terrible to start the year.
I think you are being pretty optimistic that all our forward prospects are going to hit, and especially hit that quick. The organization will likely be much more cautious on their development, and if they pop off the page great. Until then I think they will want to keep as much good forward depth as they can over the next couple years and see if they can make a run or 2.
Connor doesnt drive offense? Fake stats are rotting people's minds. When it comes to Connor, suddenly the F1 winger is the most important defensive player some how. It's just silly. The advanced stats guys have over sold their importance. What exactly does Ehlers do so much better than Connor? Take aways, Connor has more, even /60 Ehlers is only slightly ahead. Give aways, Ehelers does it significantly more.
If you're worried about the offense if one of these two is gone well we see it all the time with Ehlers. Clearly the real stats of goals, assists and points that goes to Connor.
I like Ehlers he's great at the stats that are supposed to lead to the real stats but it's clear Connor is better at the real stats.
I don’t disagree that they might do that, but I can’t imagine the Jets want McGroarty going back for another year of college hockey. and the other three in the AHL again next year? You’ve got to think one of the four earns a spot next year.
JetsFan815
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We are not even 20% into the season. Ehlers has had a rough stretch but I expect him to find his game again. I don't think we should be considering moving on from him at this point at all. The forwards group already lacks top talent. Jets should be retaining both Connor and Ehlers. Another good thing about Ehlers is that he is a pretty low-maintainence guy, unlike other other guys he doesn't publicly bitch about icetime nor has a sour attitude. That's good to have, esp considering how many prima-donna forwards have played for the Jets recently.
I think McGroarty is probably closest out of the bunch based on his play so far this year in the NCAA. I hope he signs after this season, but then he likely has a year in the A after that, or at least part of a year. We will have to see how the year plays out for the rest, but they are all either on year 1 of their ELCs, or haven't started them yet. This is what gives a team real depth as they can be moved up and down as needed. Just my opinion but I think the Jets go real veteran heavy over the next couple years unless one of these kids pops off the page and forces their hand.
Didn't he suggest that he wanted to be traded through the media last season?
"Low-maintenance"? He's not exactly a plug-N-play type. I'd argue that he could be stunting Perfetti's growth. His nickname should be Pinot Noir.
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Royale With Cheese
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I think he's saying low maintenance in terms of personality - not being negative about ice time, etc.
JetsFan815
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I have never heard Ehlers publicly ask to be traded through the media nor have I heard him publicly complain about icetime/usage. He has a good attitude, doesn't complain or create distractions and goes about his job- hence low maintenance. Something I value when the Jets have been through so many hard to please prima-donnas (your Laines, PLDs, Troubas and even to some extent Wheeler)
I understood that.
That's why I initially mentioned his putting it out there via the media (last season), that if they aren't going to play him (whatever amount of ice time), maybe they should trade him. I'm not making that up. I'm sure someone else can vouch for me on that one.
I'm 100% with you on those guys. If they don't want to be here, get rid of them (in the best possible way). We were both in lockstep on PLD last year.
2022-2023:
2022-2023 5on5 only:
Ehlers has always produced a ton of (real) points, especially v.v. his icetime. You have to go back to 2018 to find a season where Ehlers wasn't producing (real, actual) points at the highest rate on the entire team. Ehlers also drives offense as you mentioned, which means that him being on a line makes it far more likely to actually produce (real) points. Connor has been a part of a lot more bad lines than Ehlers has, IMO, not uncoincidentally. Connor does destroy Ehlers at getting TOI though.
That said I do think we should keep both.
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Why not? Connor is super talented and has a gamebreaking ability to score, he just has to be planned around a little bit and put in positions where that ability can be leveraged. That's the hardest talent to actually acquire, especially for us.
I don't think what Ehlers does is necessarily more valuable on the whole but I do think it's more undervalued and therefore more valuable to us versus what we would get back in trades.
Of the two, I find that KFC does more without the puck - positionally - to help stretch out the opposing team's defense, and giving his team's offense more room to breathe. You could plug him into anyone's line-up throughout the league, and he'll work in relation to his linemates, better than Ehlers could. I don't think that you'd have to re-route what you were doing, just to make it work with KFC.
Connor has been a superior passer to Ehlers, for quite some time now. I'm going 100% by the eye test on that one.
Strictly within the boundaries of the offensive zone, I don't think that it's particularly close. One closes, and the other one fires blanks too frequently. One has more purpose in the neutral zone (Ehlers) but can be lost in the offensive zone, while Connor is just the opposite. If you're an offensive player, I'd rather you be more sure about what you're doing in the zone that the other team's goalie plays in.
I have no doubt that Scheifele and Perfetti, would rather center KFC.
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Nice to see our wingers respond to the debate with strong games from both
I personally think Ehlers is the better passer and overall more dynamic forward, but Connor is absolutely super elite at pure scoring and stickhandling, especially in tight. It's hard to argue that Connor is just better at all things offense when you have Ehlers outscoring him (in terms of scoring rate) every season.
Also think at his worst Connor looks allergic to body contact; don't really need him to be good at defense but I would accept 'not being the worst in the league' at defense so it's not like playing 4 on 5 in our zone. But, he's been a lot better here the last four or five games (just as he looked a lot more physical and more engaged with Dubois two seasons ago).
yes and we would finally be missing out on ~25% of our goals scored
I guess it depends on what you want to do. If outscoring your opponent at even strength is the priority, then Ehlers has been significantly better than Connor over time.
Last 3 seasons at even strength the Jets have been outscored with Connor on the ice 162-171 (-9).
Without Connor on the ice the Jets have outscored their opponents 263-235 (+28).
With Ehlers the Jets have outscored the opposition 100-83 (+17).
Without Ehlers the Jets have outscored the opposition 325-323 (+2).
Connor's a big part of the power play though...if you want to maintain that 20th-best spot (2021-present). To be fair, it was the 19th ranked power play if you exclude this year's numbers and just look at 2021-22 and 2022-23.
There are other factors: Ehlers has been in a slump recently. Connor never seems to slump for too long. Ehlers is more injury-prone. Also, Ehlers' play frightens and confuses many coaches. Even though he's out there outscoring his opponents consistently, they see him skating around in circles and passing when they think "shoot!" and shooting when they think "pass!" and carrying the puck when they think "dump!" They'd rather watch Connor feebly stick-wave at opponents in his own zone and get outscored because that's "the right way to play!" or something...
KC is hot and luke warm, probably like most players. Some games like last night, he is everywhere and super engaged all over the ice, and skates his butt off. Some games he does next to nothing but drive by's and stick waving.
Those latter games are very frustrating, but then you see a great game and he's mind boggling.
As for Ehlers, I agree with whoever above said that Ehlers drives a lot of offence. Just his speed alone puts the other team back on their heels. I think he adds a lot without scoring, but can be frustrating, like KC can be.
Both integral parts of the team right now, and I hope they continue to grow and reduce some of their weaknesses.
Those latter games are very frustrating, but then you see a great game and he's mind boggling.
As for Ehlers, I agree with whoever above said that Ehlers drives a lot of offence. Just his speed alone puts the other team back on their heels. I think he adds a lot without scoring, but can be frustrating, like KC can be.
Both integral parts of the team right now, and I hope they continue to grow and reduce some of their weaknesses.
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