Player Discussion: Nikolaj Ehlers

[LowLefty]

Ironically, I believe he's the defensive conscious of that line and it's a big reason he's on it. He drives the play from his own end and is very often F1 back in the defensive zone.

I don't think anyone on that line is defensively conscious to any degree - they are all working on that part of their game in an effort to be better all around players.
Maybe the issue isn't necessarily his defensive game but more to do with his over all game.
Ehlers is highly skilled - but I doubt he's spent much of his career working on the part of his game where he doesn't have the puck. I believe Maurice is trying to help him with that.

 

[RRenegade]

In no way is Ehlers being punished by being on the "4th line". To me, his effort is not in question.
PoMo loves and will not mess with CSW + CLT lines.
Laine & Ehlers do not play well off each other, much less with Little.
I liked Purr-O with Little & Laine last night.

That said, Ehlers can improve his game by winning the occasional board & corner battle for the puck.
He can bring the puck into the zone like few other players but must get smarter and be a better playmaker once across the blue line.

 

[kunekune]

Here is the top part of the list for the whole team...


Little
Perrault
Myers
Byfuglien
Kulikov
Wheeler
Trouba (he is leaving soon)

Then
Guys who hasnt proven as much as Ehlers

Then

You put Ehlers 《《《《《here right with Adam Lowry


The only players below Ehlers are

Morrissey
Hellybuyck
Schiefele

I can give you a realistic view.

Wheeler and Buff are much more important for this team than Ehlers and aren't going to be traded in the next couple of years.

Trouba, if he is traded, will be needed to be replaced with someone close to his talent and that will cost money. Be it Trouba or someone else.

Little is still a decent hockey player but has a massive contract into his post prime. It would be a very hard task to find a trading partner for Little.

Kulikov is capdump at this point. They might pay some other team to take him or just wait for those 2 years remaining in his contract.

Myers will be let to walk in to free agency.

Perreault is still a decent player and the fact that he only has 3 years remaining in his contract means he has some value left and most likely will be traded before his contract runs out.

So realistically from those players you mentioned Jets can only trade/let go Myers, Perreault and Kulikov and I don't think that is enough to fix cap for the next 3 years. That means someone else has to leave and when you think about it Ehlers is pretty high on that list.

 

[Ares]

I can give you a realistic view.

Wheeler and Buff are much more important for this team than Ehlers and aren't going to be traded in the next couple of years.

Trouba, if he is traded, will be needed to be replaced with someone close to his talent and that will cost money. Be it Trouba or someone else.

Little is still a decent hockey player but has a massive contract into his post prime. It would be a very hard task to find a trading partner for Little.

Kulikov is capdump at this point. They might pay some other team to take him or just wait for those 2 years remaining in his contract.

Myers will be let to walk in to free agency.

Perreault is still a decent player and the fact that he only has 3 years remaining in his contract means he has some value left and most likely will be traded before his contract runs out.

So realistically from those players you mentioned Jets can only trade/let go Myers, Perreault and Kulikov and I don't think that is enough to fix cap for the next 3 years. That means someone else has to leave and when you think about it Ehlers is pretty high on that list.

Only two years ago Chevy mentioned Ehlers as one of those players who are not going anywhere no matter what. Since then of course KC stepped in and scored 30 goals as a rookie. It will sure be interesting to see what this team looks like 5 years from now.

 

[Board Bard]

Because both the guys in bold play a two way game and Ehlers doesn't.
It should be clear by now that Maurice wants to see effort and focus at both ends of the rink.
If you don't show an effort to improve your defensive game, Maurice is going to cut your minutes while you develop that part of your game.
The 4th line needs to improve there game at both ends - when they do, they will get more minutes.
That's how Maurice has always worked it -

When did Wheeler start playing good two-way hockey? Or Scheifele for that matter.

 

[Board Bard]

It was one game let's wait at least 5 before getting out the knives. If it gets there and he's playing only 10 min then this beef will be more legit. That and Ehlers doesn't pk. See how team taking less penalties will affect his playing time.

The only way the team will take fewer penalties is if Wheeler gets hurt.

 

[QuietContrarian]

Feel free to replace "hot take" with "BS" if you like.

No one said people can't post their nonsense, but as you say, this is a forum, and that means people's nonsense also gets commented on and called out as such.

I could easily proove to you why it is not nonsense. But that would require a pm

And yes, you can do whatever the hell you want

Btw writing BS and/or hottake, is not really calling anything out.

 

[LowLefty]

When did Wheeler start playing good two-way hockey? Or Scheifele for that matter.

There is no doubt that both are more offence minded players - they probably receive a more wiggle room based on their effectiveness on offence and their tenure.
Not saying it's right - but that might be why it is.

 

[Trinity]

Looks like Ehlers is in Maurice's doghouse!

 

[mondo3]

Looks like Ehlers is in Maurice's doghouse!

My fault - I drafted him in my hockey pool

 

[Sperss1997]

Ehlers misfortune is that he is proven versatile whereas Connor is not. Connor is doing a great job on that first line and it would be stupid not to keep him there as long as Pomo insists on having Wheeler and Scheif on the same line. When Wheels or Scheif is injured he can test Connor with other linemates and see how he has progressed. That means that Pomo most likely will not test a first line with ESL for real this season.

ELL turned out to be a bad combo last year and a young goal scorer like Laine you want to give as much ice time as you can, so he should be on the second line where Little doesnt have any real competition as a center. So PLL makes sense and Ehlers is out of top 6, despite he is the best LW on the team!

For the Jets it is a luxury problem to have.
For Ehlers personally it is nothing less than a disaster and something he cannot and shouldnt tolerate for too long. He needs way more ice time and more topline minutes. At least top 6. He will no doubt accept about 12 minutes of ice time on average for maybe half the season, but his confidence will probably drop like a stone in water and his production as well. A trade request is likely in that scenario.

I dont think it will end like this though. First of all, Pomo is a blender happy guy. He just cant help himself. Thats why It was so peculiar to see that he DIDNT split ELL up last year instead of running that line for God knows how many games. I really hope he will not try that combo again, unless Little finds his younger self.

Secondly, there will be injuries.

I hope Maurice will consider splitting up Scheif and Wheeler, there are a lot of exciting combos to put on ice if he did

 

[Hulide]

Dear Jets fans.... I understand how some of you dont understand some of the posters and why they complain while we are winning! Let me tell you my story... i have followed hockey and NHL from a little country called Denmark for many years.... we have never had a Forsberg, Sundin, Sedins, Kurri, Selanne, Koivu, Modano, Kane, Malkin, Datsyuk, Yzerman, Toews, or even a regulary first line player in the NHL.. finally we gets 1 who has the TALENT to make that happen in the hockey world, emagine a guy from little Denmark with a real chance to become a real hockey star . I became a Winnipeg Jets fan the second they drafted Nicolaj Ehlers watching almost every game at night from across the world even the season he was still in Halifax.. I was so Happy a year ago... yesss Nikolaj Ehlers just signed a 7 years contract 6 mill a year starting this year... I was thinking yes the Winnipeg jets really believes in him.. can you emagine how happy Leafs fans would feel if they got Nylander to the same Contract?.. I have always feelt that Chevi and the management was extremely happy and excited with Ehlers... I have never feelt the same vibe from Maurice.... so Dear fellow Jets fans from across the world there is a reason why some of us Danes and others are passionate about Ehlers.... just have that in mind when you watch us post silly things even when we are winning.. I have mix feelings right now... on 1 hand I want Ehlers far Away from Maurice... but on the other hand I Know how Much Ehlers loves the City of Winnipeg and all the fans...
Go Jets Go!!

 

[JetsUK]

i don't think it was quite as nefarious as folks seem to think.

My take?

• It was the first game of the season.
• We were in a 1-0 game that we were getting outshot in.
• Maurice wanted to win.
• that means he shortens the bench to 3 lines (regardless if he didn't pick the right 3 lines)

I don't think there was as much for messages being sent etc etc. As soon as it was 2-0 we saw Ehlers jump up a line and we saw the 4th line get out there more often.

I'm chalking this one up to Pomo having some nerves to start the season and "doubling down" in an effort to win.

It was one game. It has only happened once. Not repeatedly. f it continues i'll be annoyed but lot's of gun jumping for the first game of the season IMO.

This is a very helpful analysis. If the Eel stays at the bottom of the pond I'd like to see Dano in place of Vesa, since he brings smarts, a netfront scoring touch and is effective as a puck retriever and general pest, and see less of CSW when we're playing with a decent lead. Most of Ehler's extra minutes came late in the game last night. He was just over 6 when I checked back in midway through the 3rd, IIRC.

 

[Grind]

I get the sensativity but...

it's.
been.
one.
game.

if this continues for the next 10-12 games, i absolutely understand where danish and ehlers fans and jets fan's in general will be coming from with their concern.

but really, it's been one game. Preseason counts for nothing. those are not games. those are practices.

unless you feel this issue started last year and is continuing? I don't recall seeing much in the way of misuse last season IMO

 

[DeepFrickinValue]

everyone is overthinking fourth line Ehlers. This is clearly Chevy trolling the Nylander/Leaf negotiations. If Ehlers is getting $6 million playing on fourth then Nylander is easily worth $10 million playing on first. Duhhhh!

 

[Romang67]

While Ehlers definitely should (and will) get more ice time than he did in the first game, I'm not sure I disagree with spreading out our offense more than last season. If we can get our "4th" line rolling offensively, we'll be near unstoppable. And I have little doubt that a line with Ehlers and Roslovic on it should be able to get going offensively.

If he gets less ES time, I also wouldn't mind seeing Ehlers on the PK.

 

[Trilliann]

everyone is overthinking fourth line Ehlers. This is clearly Chevy trolling the Nylander/Leaf negotiations. If Ehlers is getting $6 million playing on fourth then Nylander is easily worth $10 million playing on first. Duhhhh!

lol... but then Connor gets 10M too

 

[ps241]

Dear Jets fans.... I understand how some of you dont understand some of the posters and why they complain while we are winning! Let me tell you my story... i have followed hockey and NHL from a little country called Denmark for many years.... we have never had a Forsberg, Sundin, Sedins, Kurri, Selanne, Koivu, Modano, Kane, Malkin, Datsyuk, Yzerman, Toews, or even a regulary first line player in the NHL.. finally we gets 1 who has the TALENT to make that happen in the hockey world, emagine a guy from little Denmark with a real chance to become a real hockey star . I became a Winnipeg Jets fan the second they drafted Nicolaj Ehlers watching almost every game at night from across the world even the season he was still in Halifax.. I was so Happy a year ago... yesss Nikolaj Ehlers just signed a 7 years contract 6 mill a year starting this year... I was thinking yes the Winnipeg jets really believes in him.. can you emagine how happy Leafs fans would feel if they got Nylander to the same Contract?.. I have always feelt that Chevi and the management was extremely happy and excited with Ehlers... I have never feelt the same vibe from Maurice.... so Dear fellow Jets fans from across the world there is a reason why some of us Danes and others are passionate about Ehlers.... just have that in mind when you watch us post silly things even when we are winning.. I have mix feelings right now... on 1 hand I want Ehlers far Away from Maurice... but on the other hand I Know how Much Ehlers loves the City of Winnipeg and all the fans...
Go Jets Go!!

So.....um........you are way too polite as far as the protest post thing goes. You are going to have to up your "irrational homer fan" game allot if you want me to put you on ignore like I have for other "player first", team second fans (who are we kidding the team doesn't even rate).

My guess is Paul loves Nik and this situation is pretty temporary. Injuries will happen and in the mean time thank god Nik is playing with young uber talented guys like K-Ves and Rosko vs the old school grit/ grind/ knuckles types of the past.

 

[AWSAA]

Ehlers-Scheifele-Laine
Connor-Little-Wheeler (Roslovic gets a look between those two some point)

is our strongest top 6 option. 2/3's of the current top line remains intact. You'll have 5 guys over 70 points with those lines. Laine & Scheifele could exceed 90.

 

[ps241]

I get the sensativity but...

it's.
been.
one.
game.

if this continues for the next 10-12 games, i absolutely understand where danish and ehlers fans and jets fan's in general will be coming from with their concern.

but really, it's been one game. Preseason counts for nothing. those are not games. those are practices.

unless you feel this issue started last year and is continuing? I don't recall seeing much in the way of misuse last season IMO

Posters might forget but both Nylander and Marner found themselves on the leafs 4th line at different times last season.

 

[Spock]

You want depth, you want your lineup to be doninant from top to bottom, you want to be rid of Hendricks, Thorburn and the like...

Somewhere in this (promising) scenario there are going to be times when great players play less minutes than others.

 

[Trinity]

lol... but then Connor gets 10M too

Laine gets $20 million then!

 

[QuietContrarian]

So.....um........you are way too polite as far as the protest post thing goes. You are going to have to up your "irrational homer fan" game allot if you want me to put you on ignore like I have for other "player first", team second fans (who are we kidding the team doesn't even rate).

My guess is Paul loves Nik and this situation is pretty temporary. Injuries will happen and in the mean time thank god Nik is playing with young uber talented guys like K-Ves and Rosko vs the old school grit/ grind/ knuckles types of the past.

Always the team first, thats why in the case of this continuing, id look for a win win, as there is no reason to ruin a young mans career.

And even when it is Jets first, it would be a helluva lot more boring without the eel

 

[KingBogo]

I believe he is getting 4th line minutes because:

• Maurice like connor scheifele and wheeler together (the reasons why should be obvious)
• Ehlers Little Laine was not a great combo last year, so he's shuffled perrault into that spot
• Maurice ALWAYS deploys a "shut down" line. This is his MO, it's his philosophy to roster construction. that's Copp, Lowry Tanev.
• Maurice could have put Ehlers in that third line, subbing down one of copp or tanev, but the problem you'd get from that is now your 4th set of players is Roslovic, Rookie, Checker. That lines not going to get a single clean zone exit unless vesalainen and roslovic can drive them, a big ask for a 19 year old and a 20 yearold.

None of these are due to negatives in Nic's play. He's probably being subbed down because he can potentially shelter his linemates by being almost sure-fire zone exit/entry guy, meaning they just need to keep up and get in position and they'll get their opportunities.

additionally roslovic's got a hell of a motor and i'm excited to see what him and ehlers can do together.


I really think the ice time discrepancy was a one off and we'll see a lot more balance going forward.

This is a real good post. Appreciate the effort to dig a little deeper to look for reasons behind usage.

 

[Tommigun]

I still think that the most balanced lineup would have been to put Ehlers on the first line (where he played well last year except for one game where Connor took his spot), play Connor with Little and Laine, and put Perreault on the rookie line.