As promised months ago, the 2011-12 Jets All Out point predictions are in!First, we take a look at the forwards, the most interesting and most vital part of the predictions for the upcoming season. With such a young core of talented players and those who have not yet hit their full stride in the NHL, we believe that this is the best year for these players and the best is also yet to come.
Andrew Ladd led the Jets in scoring last season with 59 points (29 goals, 30 assists) and added 39 penalty minutes and was a -10 rating at season's end. He led the team in power-play goals (nine), and tied for shorthanded goals (two). His rise to becoming the captain of the former Thrashers and now Jets was a testament to how much he meant to the team and the dressing room. His numbers will likely not change drastically.
2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Ladd: 81 GP, 31 G, 29 A, 60 PTS, 44 PIMs, +4
Bryan Little, coming off a 31 goal season two seasons before, had a semi-bounce back year, scoring 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) along with 33 penalty minutes and a decent +11 rating on a dismal Thrashers team. His positive plus/minus speaks to his defensive play with the team last year, a trend the Jets hope continues as he is slated as the team's #1 center. With his potential, Little is destined to hit the 30 goal plateau once again sometime in his career. His point production trend will only continue to increase in his first season in Winnipeg.2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Little: 80 GP, 27 G, 35 A, 62 PTS, 40 PIMs, +15
Evander Kane is the diamond in the rough of the Jets organization. His output continues to improve over the past two seasons and he looks poised and ready to take his game to the next level - possibly becoming that 20-30 NHL goal scorer he was drafted fourth overall for. With 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) along with 68 penalty minutes and a -12 rating, Kane improved on his rookie season stats, almost doubling them in his sophomore year. From the looks of his pre-season play, he is ready to ramp it up another notch in Winnipeg.2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Kane: 79 GP, 26 G, 33, 59 PTS, 70 PIMs, +7
Nik Antropov at 30 is the oldest forward on the club. He is also the most experienced, having played in Toronto, New York, and Atlanta now too. His best years came with Toronto and his first season in Atlanta, alongside Ilya Kovalchuk. However, the past two seasons in Atlanta were a hard go for the 6'6 center and he would like nothing better than to get his statistical output back on track this season in Winnipeg. He has the experience to mentor younger players, including Alexander Burmistrov, and his presence is the most important thing in the Jets dressing room, but he can chip in offensively too. Look for his output to go up modestly this season.2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Antropov: 74 GP, 19 G, 31 A, 50 PTS, 50 PIMs, +2
Alexander Burmistrov is the second youngest Jet in the lineup opening night, next to Mark Scheifele, however, he is going to be examined alongside the young seventh overall pick as well. Though Burmistrov already has a full season under his belt in Atlanta, scoring 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 74 games, he has yet to reach his true potential, like many on this young Jets squad. Burmistrov will hopefully learn with a veteran teammate, such as Nik Antropov, how to improve his skills on and off the ice and possibly improve his defensive game under head coach Claude Noel's system in Winnipeg. Burmistrov's statistical output has nowhere to go but up this season.2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Burmistrov: 77 GP, 20 G, 21 A, 41 PTS, 28 PIMs, +3
Eric Fehr will miss the first part of the season with a shoulder injury, but his presence and what he can bring to the Jets should never be underestimated. A former 20 goal scorer in Washington, Fehr was dealt to the Jets to provide goal scoring depth on the wing. Not only that, Fehr is a local Manitoban and will be looked upon as a hometown fan favourite once he is in the lineup healthy once again. Though he had a drop in production last year, mainly due to injury, with only 20 points (ten goals, ten assists) in 56 games, Fehr, once healthy will be a key player and leader for the Jets.2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Fehr: 40 GP, 11 G, 14 A, 25 PTS, 14 PIMs, +10
Blake Wheeler's presence on the Thrashers last season was tremendous as he led the team in scoring after a trade from Boston in the late stages of the season. Wheeler scored 17 points (seven goals, ten assists) in the final 23 games of the season for Atlanta, playing alongside Little and Ladd. He will be looked upon again to provide offense with his large 6'5 frame. A former 20 goal scorer in Boston, the former top five draft pick will once again be untied with Little and Ladd atop the first line and be looked upon to score in bunches.2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Wheeler: 80 GP, 25 G, 30 A, 55 PTS, 56 PIMs, +11
Chris Thorburn is one of the longest serving players in the Thrashers/Jets organization and is look upon to provide his skills in an enforcer's role. With that in mind, his season should not be looked at judging primarily on offensive output, but on his character and leadership on the ice, providing that energy the Jets may need in a game. Thorburn's consistency to stay in the lineup year after year, game after game, is a true asset to the Jets depth.2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Thorburn: 82 GP, 10 G, 11 A, 21 PTS, 85 PIMs, -1
Jim Slater is another long-serving player with the Thrashers, having been an original Thrasher pick back in 2002 with the 30th overall pick. Slater has morphed into a defensive/two-way center who's main priority is back checking and making sure he's causing havoc when in the opponent's zone. Before injuries last season, Slater was on pace for a career year, having scored 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 36 games. His previous career high was 20 points in his rookie season. Normally, Slater's output is in the 15-20 point range, but with a new atmosphere in Winnipeg, the four line center's role, under Claude Noel's coaching system of "no three minute men on my bench", may see his output jump to a career high.2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Slater: 78 GP, 11 G, 12 A, 23 PTS, 22 PIMs +1
Tim Stapleton is projected by the Winnipeg Jets official website to be the fifth winger for the Jets to start the season. With Fehr out of the lineup, Stapleton will likely be in the lineup opening night, or opted out for Scheifele. Stapleton has the rare honour of having scored the last goal in Atlanta Thrashers history. He was able to stick most of the 2010-11 campaign in Atlanta, collecting five goals and two assists in 45 games. His role in Winnipeg will likely be that of a third/fourth liner again, mostly due to his undersized frame. His speed, however, makes him a great third/fourth liner because of his ability to play both ends of the ice. Look for his output to increase as he tries to stick in Winnipeg full-time, ahead of Scheifele and Patrice Cormier too.2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Stapleton: 60 GP, 9 G, 12 A, 21 PTS, 16 PIMs -4
Kyle Wellwood joins the Jets after wandering the leagues in search of a home. His one-year contract added depth and versatility, as Wellwood is able to work both the power-play and penalty kill quite well. Known for his soft hands and deceptive speed, at times, he split last season between Mytishchi Atlant and the San Jose Sharks. Mytishchi Atlant released Wellwood half way through the season, after he produced only eight points (five goals, three assists) in 25 games. San Jose signed him and he had 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 35 games, including seven points (one goal, six assists) in 18 playoff games. Wellwood will provide depth and a centerman who can also play the wing, something the Jets may need if injuries occur.
2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Wellwood: 68 GP, 10 G, 20 A, 30 PTS, 10 PIMs, -2
Tanner Glass was also added to the Jets roster via free agency this off-season to provide grit and energy to the Jets lineup. He was also brought in for experience, having just come off a short summer after the Vancouver Canucks went the distance in the Stanley Cup Final. Glass, who has 184 games under his belt with Florida and Vancouver, will be looked upon to help Slater and Thorburn be the energetic and "thorn-in-your-side" fourth line that the team has lacked in its franchise's history.2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Glass: 78 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 PTS, 92 PIMs, -3
Mark Scheifele has a good chance to stay beyond the nine games if he impresses in his first nine games. It's difficult to make such a prediction for such a player because of so many unknown variables leading up to the season's start. Scheiefele could be another Jeff Skinner and take the NHL by storm and win a Calder Trophy. He could also have another dominant season in the OHL with the Barrie Colts. For this case, firstly, we predict if Scheifele flourishes in the NHL (Scenario A)and secondly, we predict if he does not (Scenario B; though we would rather him flourish right off the bat).2011-12 Jets All Out Prediction
Scenario A: 80 GP, 15 G, 25 A, 40 PTS, 20 PIMs, +2
Scenario B: 9 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 PTS, 4 PIMs, -2
On The Bubble Players:
Patrice Cormier
Jets All Out Prediction: 50 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 16 PTS, 35 PIMs, -4
Carl Klingberg
Jets All Out Prediction: 30 GP, 5 G, 11 A, 16 PTS, 14 PIMs, -6
Spencer Machacek
Jets All Out Prediction: 42 GP, 7 G, 11 A, 18 PTS, 26 PIMs, -2
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