Could Cole Perfetti Be the Jets’ Big Trade Chip?

The Winnipeg Jets are in one of those seasons where you just can’t sit back and hope things fix themselves. Losing Nikolaj Ehlers stung, but it’s not the only issue. The middle lines aren’t scoring, the depth isn’t clicking, and honestly, the team needs a shake-up if they want to make any noise the rest of the way. That’s where Cole Perfetti comes in.

Perfetti’s Had a Tough Season for the Jets

Perfetti’s a weird mix of promising and frustrating this year. Last season, he scored 18 goals, had 50 points, and looked like a forward who could grow into a key piece. This year? Only six goals, 18 points in 42 games. Part of that is the team’s struggles, part is that he’s mostly been on the wing, and part is that hockey just goes up and down sometimes. But here’s the thing: he still has serious value.

The Jets’ big problem is that they need a boost outside the top line. Second-line scoring has been spotty, and most of the other middle-6 forwards—Adam Lowry, Jonathan Toews, Alex Iafallo, Nino Niederreiter, and Vladislav Namestnikov—haven’t done much to help. Even moving Gabe Vilardi down hasn’t fixed it. Perfetti is basically the only forward outside the top line who could actually bring back someone who changes the game.