Could Cole Perfetti be the Jets’ big trade chip?

The Winnipeg Jets are in one of those seasons where you can’t sit back and hope everything will work itself out. The loss of Nikolaj Ehlers hurt, but that is not the only problem. The middle lines aren’t scoring, the depth isn’t clicking, and honestly the team needs a shakeup if they want to make any noise the rest of the way. That’s true Cole Perfetti enters.

Perfetti has had a tough season for the Jets

Perfetti is a strange mix of promising and frustrating this year. Last season he scored 18 goals, scored 50 points and looked like a forward who could develop into a key figure. This year? Only six goals, 18 points in 42 games. Part of that is the team’s struggles, part of it is that he plays mostly on the wing, and part of it is that hockey is just up and down sometimes. But the point is, it still has serious value.

The Jets’ big problem is that they need a boost beyond the top line. The scoring in the second line has been sloppy and most of the other mid-range attackers – Adam Lowry, Jonathan Toews, Alex Iafallo, Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov – haven’t done much to help. Even moving Gabe Vilardi hasn’t solved the problem. Perfetti is actually the only forward outside the top line who can actually bring back someone who changes the game.

The Jets would like to keep Perfetti, but may have to move him

Does this mean he has to go? Not necessarily. The dream scenario is to keep Perfetti and use other assets to place a top-6 piece next to him. But if an at-large offer comes along, he’s the type of player the Jets could move to get someone who really moves the ball offensively. This is what this season feels like; it’s all about finding ways to get some quick help to the top line.

Jets fans don’t need to panic about Perfetti. He’s young, cheap at $3.25 million, and still talented. But he’s also the kind of player who can help the Jets pull off a real trade for someone who can take the depth from mediocre to dangerous. Keep an eye on him; he could be the key for the team to make a big move before the deadline.

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