Cole Perfetti Is Starting to Look Like the Player the Jets

Cole Perfetti might be having one of those seasons where the numbers tell only part of the story. The points are certainly there. He scored again against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night and now has five points to start the season. He's getting first-line minutes. He's getting power-play time. The Winnipeg Jets are putting him in situations where they’re asking him to be more than a promising young player.

They're asking him to become an important one. And that's why I found one little sequence in the Pittsburgh game more interesting than the goal. Perfetti tracked back and did the kind of defensive work coaches love. Nothing spectacular. No big hit. No highlight-reel play. He just did his job.

Perfetti’s development hasn’t been linear, but he’s been growing.

I've always thought that's an important part of a young player's development. At some point, you have to stop asking only, “How many points did he get?” You start asking, “Can I trust him when the game gets difficult?”

This is Perfetti's sixth NHL season, which is kind of funny because he still feels young enough to be described as a prospect in some hockey conversations. But eventually the prospect label has to disappear.

The Jets don't need Perfetti to suddenly become a 100-point superstar. They need something a little more practical. They need him to become a player they can put on the ice in important minutes and feel good about it. That's the kind of maturity he can bring.

For Perfetti, the score sheet won’t be the tipping point for his value to the Jets.

A goal is easy to notice. So is an assist. The other stuff is harder. Winning a battle. Protecting the puck. Getting back into the play. Making the safe play when that's the right play. Staying engaged when you don't have the puck.

Those things don't always show up in the box score, but they can determine whether a player becomes merely good or becomes important. Maybe that's where Perfetti is headed. And if he gets there, Winnipeg won't necessarily need to find another star to improve its offence.

Sometimes the best way to get more from your team is to help a player you already have become a little more of the player you hoped he would be.