Mark Scheifele Might Be the Player the Jets Need Most Right

There’s something pretty interesting happening in Winnipeg right now, and it has very little to do with Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck’s trade request is obviously the big story. He’s a franchise goalie who signed a huge contract alongside Mark Scheifele, and now he apparently wants out. That’s the sort of thing that can throw a team into a pretty serious tailspin.

But Scheifele doesn’t seem particularly interested in going along for the ride. And right now, that might be exactly what the Jets need.

In a down season for the Jets, Scheifele had a career season.

Scheifele is coming off the best offensive season of his career. He played all 82 games and put up 103 points, including 36 goals and 67 assists. At 33 years old, that’s not what you expect from a player who is supposed to be approaching the back end of his career.

He’s still producing. And he’s still talking about winning. That matters because, if Hellebuyck is eventually traded, Winnipeg is going to have a pretty significant hole to fill. But the Jets don't necessarily have to blow everything up. In fact, Scheifele may be the reason they shouldn't.

Two things make Scheifele indispensable.

First, Scheifele is a player who has just scored 103 points. Second, he’s still committed to the team even in its downturn. That gives Winnipeg something to build around. He knows the organization, he knows the city, and he has already been through plenty of good times and frustrating times with the Jets.

More importantly, he apparently still believes there is something worth chasing here. That's valuable. It would be easy for Scheifele to look at Hellebuyck's decision and think, “Well, if he's leaving, maybe I should be looking around too.” He hasn't done that. At least not publicly. Instead, he's talking about the team and winning.

Scheifele’s attitude says more than a big statement from management.

The Jets may have a difficult few weeks ahead. Losing Hellebuyck would change the look of the team, and there will be plenty of questions about what comes next. But Scheifele's presence changes the conversation a little. This doesn't have to be the beginning of a rebuild. Instead, it could be the beginning of a different version of the Jets.

And if Scheifele really is still all-in, Winnipeg might have one pretty important reason not to panic. He just scored 103 points, and maybe the next Jets team should be built around him.