Winnipeg Jets' Rise and Anaheim Ducks' Descent Highlight Increased Pressure in the West

While it’s fair to say the NHL’s Eastern Conference has been more competitive than the Western Conference over the past couple of seasons, the Central and Pacific division teams face no shortage of pressure right now. 

You can see that in the top teams in the West putting pressure on the rest – such as the Winnipeg Jets – as well as the teams that are struggling – such as the Anaheim Ducks.

In the case of the Winnipeg Jets – that’s right, the same Jets team that’s currently in top spot in the Central – this season has been a pleasant surprise after crumbling against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the playoffs last season. The Jets have taken advantage of the recent stumbles of the top-ranked Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche, and they’re thriving in their last 10 games, going 7-3-0, a mark that includes a four-game win streak they’re in the midst of.

The Jets are hitting all the right notes of late, thanks in no small part to their defense, which is ranked seventh-best in the NHL at a 2.65 goals-against average in 26 games. Their defense corps is somewhat underrated, as it makes life for star goalie Connor Hellebuyck much easier than it might be were he on another team. 

Winnipeg also has a very well-balanced group of forwards. Top-liners Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers are strongly supported by youngster Cole Perfetti, Vladislav Namestnikov and Gabe Vilardi, and they have one of the better third lines in the game in Nino Niederreiter, Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton. They might not have the sizzle of bigger marquee names on other teams, but the Jets get the job done in a very businesslike manner.

Winnipeg has gone 9-3-0 in its past 12 contests, beating strong teams including Carolina, Colorado, New Jersey, Tampa Bay and Florida in that span. They were leading the Central Division on this day last year, so only time will tell if the Jets can avoid a massive slump in the second half of the season. That said, they’re looking confident and ready to push the other Central teams for home-ice advantage in the post-season. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff doesn’t have any salary cap room with which to improve the roster, but at the moment, the roster is functioning at least as well as management had hoped, if not better.

On the other side of the coin out West, the Anaheim Ducks are the worst team in the NHL of late, going 1-9-0 in their last 10 games. 

Anaheim has won exactly one game – a 4-3 shootout over the Avs on Dec. 2 – since Nov. 14, freefalling through the Pacific Division standings. If it weren’t for the sad-sack San Jose Sharks, the Ducks would be firmly entrenched at the bottom of the division, with any playoff aspirations they may have had when they started the season 9-6-0.

Unlike the Jets, the Ducks do have cap space to attempt to salvage their season. Per PuckPedia, Anaheim presently has $10.8 million in space, and that’s before Ducks GM Pat Verbeek finds new homes for high-priced forwards Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg.

Henrique carries a cap hit of $5.825 million, while Silfverberg has a hit of $5.25 million. Both veteran forwards have modified no-trade clauses, but given that both of them will also be UFAs at the end of this season, the writing could be on the wall for their future in Anaheim. 

There will be teams looking for offensive boosts – the New York Islanders or, perhaps, the Washington Capitals, anyone? There may also be teams that want cap flexibility next summer and will see Henrique and Silfverberg as assets worth acquiring for the rest of the campaign.

Verbeek should convert at least one of the two players into prospects or draft picks, as we’re nearing the point of no return on their season. The last thing this young, transitioning group needs is a second half of the season that essentially means nothing. That’s already happened too often for a Ducks franchise that once was a legitimate Cup contender year in and year out.

Things can always change, and there’s a chance the Jets will take a turn for the worse and the Ducks will take a turn for the better. But as it stands, both teams have earned their current position in the standings. 

The Western Conference still lags a bit behind the East in terms of competitiveness, but when you take a closer look, you’ll understand that the pressure on both “have” teams and “have-not” teams has ratcheted up in a major way.