In the fast-paced world of professional sports injuries are an unfortunate reality that can significantly impact a player’s performance and development. When it comes to the NHL, the injury bug has often plagued some of the brightest stars (Sidney Crosby, Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Erik Karlsson for example). This has cast doubt on their ability to withstand the physical demands of the sport of hockey in the regular season and the playoffs.
Such doubts have recently emerged in the cases of Winnipeg Jets’ dynamic winger Nikolaj Ehlers and promising young center Cole Perfetti. However, a closer examination reveals that the concerns surrounding their injury history are in fact exaggerated as it overlooks their dedication to return to the sport of hockey and the fans of the Jets.
A Dynamic Winger Who Can’t Catch a Break
Ehlers, a Danish dynamo known for his speed and offensive prowess has been a key figure for the Jets since his arrival. Despite his exceptional talent, his own coaches and media critics have voiced large concerns about his tendency to be injury-prone (particularly after a few recent notable injuries). While it’s true that Ehlers has faced challenges related to injuries, it is crucial to acknowledge the unluckiness in some of these injuries and the levels he has gone to overcome these obstacles to return to the ice as soon as possible.
Ehlers recently has had a decent number of setbacks in the form of a wide variety of injuries ranging from neck spasms to a knee sprain. However, he has consistently come back and eventually returned to his game-breaking self. Moreover, his consistent performance post-injury when he’s gotten back up to full speed has showcased that his body can withstand the demands of the grueling and long NHL season.
Related: Jets’ Patience with Cole Perfetti the Key to his Success
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This current start to the hockey season has not been Ehlers’ best as he slowly gets back up to speed. This can primarily be attributed to the fact that he missed nearly the entire training camp. As a result, he hasn’t been himself with the puck on his stick. I will be the first to admit that he definitely looks a little off by trying to force a lot of passes and being susceptible to a decent amount of brutal giveaways. That being said, according to MoneyPuck at even strength, Ehlers has still been a net positive in terms of scoring chances while only giving up one more goal against than goals scored with him on the ice. If Ehlers at his absolute worst is just about breakeven in goal differential, just imagine how good the Jets will be when he’s back to his normal self.
A Budding Star at Both Ends of the Ice
Perfetti gets a lot of flack for being slow and small, yet these two things have not deterred a large number of players from being healthy contributors to an NHL lineup at the center position (an example being Paul Stastny or Joe Pavelski). Perfetti hasn’t been the luckiest of players with a large majority of his injuries coming from dirty headshots or hits from behind. While this is a little bit out of his hands and in the official’s, as Perfetti becomes more of a veteran he is sure to get more calls leading to less cheap shots as he progresses in his career.
Perfetti has had more consistency in his game this season compared to Ehlers but still faces questions about durability from his critics. However, he is still tenth in forward ice time for Jets forwards. Recently in the overtime loss against the New York Rangers, he received a bump in ice time and a spot on the top power play at Ehlers’ expense but I wouldn’t officially do a victory lap until his ice time is at that level consistently.
Past Examples Lead to Optimism
Bowen Byram and Charlie McAvoy are two examples of players I like to look at as positive examples for the future of Ehlers and Perfetti. While they play different positions, both of them have a pretty lengthy injury history that at one point put each player’s long-term future in doubt. There wasn’t really a size-fits-all solution to their injury problems, rather it was just letting the player heal 100 percent and watch the bad luck eventually pass. It is worth noting that all four players specifically mentioned in this article have had injuries caused by illegal checks or unpreventable plays and that’s why they are comparable.
Future Injury Outlook Isn’t All Doom & Gloom
In the physically demanding landscape of professional hockey, Nikolaj Ehlers and Cole Perfetti stand as prime examples to challenge the notion that injury concerns might overshadow long-term chances at success. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see that in a couple of years’ time, both players have consecutive healthy full seasons under their belt. It is a good sign that both of them have been able to remain healthy as the 2023-24 season has gotten underway. Here’s hoping their recent run of good injury luck will continue for the remainder of the season and help lead the Jets to success.