Ehlers getting early nod over Connor on Jets' top line

WINNIPEG – The debate has been raging for quite some time and has only intensified.

This chicken-and-egg query revolves around usage for the Winnipeg Jets wingers and the question isn’t about to go away anytime soon.

The talent among the top-six — especially on the wing — has been evident for some time, though that hasn’t prevented the masses from vociferously picking one side or the other.

Who is the Jets’ top left-winger?

When it comes to traditional stats as a measuring point in sheer productivity, Kyle Connor is No. 1 with a bullet.

With three consecutive 30-plus goal seasons under his belt, Connor holds the decisive edge over Nikolaj Ehlers in terms of the raw numbers.

That only tells part of the story and it’s an apples-to-oranges comparison, as Ehlers has a substantial advantage of his own when it comes to the underlying numbers and advanced stats.

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Plus, Connor enjoys the obvious benefits of being on the top power-play unit, while Ehlers’ time with the man-advantage has been much more limited.

So when training camp opened with Ehlers on the top line with Mark Scheifele and captain Blake Wheeler, observers and players alike took notice.

Under normal circumstances, testing out combinations is standard fare when there are a number of exhibition games on the horizon.

It should be noted this isn’t the first time Ehlers is riding shotgun on the top line — even if Connor has featured there more frequently.

“Hasn’t changed the way I play. For me, I don’t think I need to adjust my game depending on who I play with,” said Ehlers, who had 25 goals and 58 points in 71 games last season. “I play my best hockey when I play as a shooter. You’re going to make your plays but I play faster, I skate more when I play with that shooter’s mentality. I felt I did well last year. I want to be doing more, honestly. So it’s something that I’m working on and, yeah, it’s going to be good.”

But by his own admission, Jets head coach Paul Maurice hinted that it was safe to put some additional stock into how things are currently constructed.

After all, the Jets open the season against the Calgary Flames in seven days.

As Maurice likes to say, nothing is permanent. He can go back to the proverbial well if he needs to.

Besides, for the Jets to achieve success, both Connor and Ehlers are going to need to be key contributors, no matter what line they’re playing on.

This isn’t an either/or scenario.

It’s going to be up to Maurice to create the combinations that will provide enough headaches for opposing coaches and players. Finding a match-up to exploit is something every bench boss is looking for.

“I would agree that I don’t think it’s as easy to sort out and I think what you do sometimes when you play against teams that have two powerful offensive lines, you certainly go into the game with an idea, then you’ve got to judge real quick which one’s going,” said Maurice. “Because on every night there’s usually one line that’s got a little more jump than the others and I think it’ll be interesting to watch to see how that’s matched. But I don’t know on an offensive output that you can pick which one’s going to score more goals yet.”

Ehlers adopted a shooter’s mentality last season and was on pace for his first 30-goal season of his career when the pause arrived in March. He followed that up by exorcising his playoff demons, erasing a 22-game goal-scoring drought.

Although the Jets were quickly dispatched in four games by the Flames, Ehlers lived up to the prophetic words that it was only a matter of time before the regular season success extended to the post-season.

The reward?

Getting the first crack at earning a more regular spot riding shotgun with Scheifele and Wheeler.

“When you play on that line, you’re going to draw an awful lot of firepower, so you can’t just be good at one end of the rink,” said Maurice. “Nikolaj has made developments in his defensive game. He’s just older, right? He’s got more experience now. He understands how important it is in the defensive zone and what you do with the puck in the offensive zone and your risk profile. All of those things young players never think about before they get to the NHL and they’re all critical pieces. Who you’re playing against, the D you’re playing against.

“He’s a more mature person, a more mature player and I would say — and his numbers would say — that he’s earned the right to play against the other team’s best. It’s going to be a big challenge for him. This is another phase in Nikolaj’s development.”

Ehlers’ speed in transition is an extraordinary weapon and there are times when he plays the role of a one-man zone entry.

As for Connor, this isn’t a demotion in the truest sense of the word.

Not even close.

There won’t be a negligible difference when it comes to ice time and he’s playing alongside a sniper with vision in Patrik Laine and a dependable two-way centre in Paul Stastny who is known for making his linemates better.

Connor didn’t need a pep talk when he saw who he was playing with at the start of camp.

“You would if the personality dictated that you had to. But no, not with Kyle. He really doesn’t necessarily care who he plays with, it’s not an issue for him,” said Maurice. “So I told him what line he was going on and he said, ‘Hey, that’s great.’ And that was it.

“Part of that is my experience with Kyle Connor over the last few years. You didn’t have to explain stuff to him. He just wants to go out and play and he’ll figure it out.”

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Connor has the type of soft hands and finishing ability that has some pundits wondering if he might be in the running for a Rocket Richard Trophy one day.

“When that happens, I’m not sure. When that breakthrough where everybody realizes that this guy is so very, very dangerous,” said Maurice. “If you were to come and watch the first four days of our training camp, you would say it’s coming soon.

“He’s got such a quiet personality about him but he’s driven to score goals. Wants to be a good player. Incredibly fit. He’s wired into being a great player and he’s going to get there.”

Of his 38 goals last season, seven of them were game-winners (including one in overtime) and nine of them came on the power play.

“I see myself taking another stride as a player,” said Connor, who had 73 points in 71 games last season to finish in a tie for 15th in the NHL with Scheifele. “Personally, I don’t really set goals for how many points, goals, assists that I want from a particular year. I just focus day in, day out on trying to get better every single day. For me, that’s when I have the most success. I think I can take another step this year.”

The Jets are counting on Connor and Ehlers to take another step this season.

And the reality is that the internal competition is likely to push both of these dynamic players to even greater heights — no matter how the situation eventually plays out.

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Here’s how the Jets lined up in Thursday’s main group session:

Nikolaj Ehlers-Mark Scheifele-Blake Wheeler
Kyle Connor-Paul Statsny-Patrik Laine
Andrew Copp-Adam Lowry-Mason Appleton
Kristian Vesalainen-Nate Thompson-Trevor Lewis
Juono Luoto-CJ Suess

Josh Morrissey-Tucker Poolman
Derek Forbort-Neal Pionk
Nathan Beaulieu-Dylan DeMelo
Luca Sbisa-Sami Niku

Connor Hellebuyck
Laurent Brossoit

Unfit to practice: Jansen Harkins, Dominic Toninato, Marko Dano.

Non-contact jersey: Mathieu Perreault, David Gustafsson

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