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St. Louis Blues Forwards Bust Jets

By Kate Cimini

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Continuing with our summer series, comparing possible St. Louis Blues lineups to their would-be divisional competitors, we next tackle the Winnipeg Jets. A few seasons ago, the Jets were scraping the bottom of the barrel, still in recovery from moving from Atlanta and taking on a new name and identity. This most recent season the Jets made the playoffs, and though they were knocked out in the first round (as St. Louis was), they’re looking to repeat.

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Jets captain Andrew Ladd recently spoke with NHL.com about that impetus to move beyond the first round.

“It’s pretty tough to be satisfied with losing four straight in the playoffs,” Ladd said about the end to his season in the article. “I think that’s first and foremost. The biggest disappointment we had after the playoffs and after having time to think about it, was that we thought we could do some damage, that we had a team that could go deep into the playoffs.

“Yes, it was nice to make the playoffs, but the ultimate goal is competing for Stanley Cups and now we can kind of look back and say that was the first step, to make the playoffs. But great organizations, that’s what their standard is every year, giving themselves a chance to win.”

Does Winnipeg have the drive to win, as well as the ability? What would a match-up between them and the Blues look like? Fellow FanSided editor Andrei Lutz, who runs Hockey at the Forks, our Winnipeg Jets site, believes so much in his team that he agreed to project lines against the St. Louis Blues’.

Below are Lutz’s choice for his first lines.

Andrew Ladd – Bryan Little – Blake Wheeler

Andrew Ladd: Ladd is the Jets captain and has much experience in the NHL (winning two cups with the Canes and Hawks). Ladd is an all around player he can dish out assists, score goals, and in the prime of the game he put the puck in the net for the game winner (led Jets in GW goals last season.  Ladd led the Jets in points this past season with (62) and his contract will be up by the end of the season (Ladd is most likely playing for his final big contract being 29 years old, so look for Ladd to shine with that extra incentive).

Bryan Little: Little is not the tallest player at only 5’ 11’ but he is a very well rounded and dangerous player as Ladd is. Little fluctuates season by season where he scores a lot more goals then assists, more assists then goals, and sometimes they are pretty even. Little finished 3rd on the team in points last season with 52 and tied for second in goals with Andrew Ladd (24). Little stays out of the penalty box with only 24 minutes last year (its not easy to fluster him).

Blake Wheeler: Look for Blake Wheeler to go off this season with the Jets. The former 5th overall pick by the Boston Bruins has improved dramatically since his days in Boston or even Atlanta. Wheeler finished second on the team in in points (61) and first on the team in goals (26). Wheeler is known more for his assists then goals, but this past season proved that he could be a dangerously well rounded forward. Some Jets fans will argue the Wheeler is the Jets best player (I’m not one of those, but I can see why.)

Jaden Schwartz-Paul Stastny-David Backes

Against the Ladd-Little-Wheeler combo, I’d almost certainly stack Schwartz-Stastny-Backes. Backes can match up nicely against Ladd, skill-wise and his ability to rile opposing players combined with Ladd’s tendency to get heated when targeted could occupy Ladd while Stastny and Schwartz head for the net. Backes, like Ladd, is in the last season of his contract, and while he regularly lays all of it on the table for the Blues, we may very well see him find an extra gear this season.

None of these three are stingy when it comes to points – all came in top-seven for the Blues last season in points overall – and Backes’s agitating ways and nose for the net will come in handy here in combination with Schwartz’s ability to finish with finesse and Stastny’s playmaking abilities.

Wheeler is the most interesting part of this top line for St. Louis to take on, given his development over the past season. Stastny’s hockey sense and determination to make himself a core member of the top six will be exactly what is necessary to shut down a player like Wheeler.

Adam Lowry – Mark Scheifele – Drew Stafford

Adam Lowry: Lowry is one of the younger Jets and this past season was actually his first full one in the NHL (let it be noted he’s from St. Louis). It remains to be seen where Lowry’s skill set lies but it appears he is as well rounded as the other Jets forwards scoring 11 goals and dishing 12 assists in his first season. Lowry adds youth, speed, and potential to the Jets and there is no doubt he will only better his stats this upcoming season (unless the injury fairy graces his presence).

Mark Scheifele: There are some very high expectations for Mark in Winnipeg (being drafted 7th overall in 2011). Last season he went off for the best year of his career and showed that he will most likely be the Jets top center. With 15 goals and 34 assists, Mark displayed he was less of a goal scorer and more of an assist magnet. Mark finished 4th on the team in points (49) and is expected to finish even higher this season in what many believe will be an extraordinary year for him. Just like Lowry, Mark is young, quick, and full of all sorts of potential.

Drew Stafford: One of the more household names on the Jets roster (many may remember him from those golden years in Buffalo) is one of the more seasoned Jets players. Many people believe that Stafford’s best years are behind him, but one must consider that bad Sabres teams that have surrounded him the last couple of years. Upon being traded to the Jets he would play in 26 games and tally 19 points as compared to the 24 in 50 games in Buffalo. It looks as if a young and talented Jets team surrounding him is what Stafford may have just needed to return to the goal scoring power house that he was in Buffalo. Stafford likes to score and likes to shoot, an excellent combination for any club.

Alexander Steen-Jori Lehtera-Vladimir Tarasenko

These three present less of a challenge to our second line, which is more of a first line that comes out second. In fact, if these lines swapped places I’m not sure St. Louis would notice much of a difference, though Winnipeg certainly would.

Tarasenko, of course, is Tarasenko. He’s beyond skilled with a puck, and is able to deke around someone on his way to the net or barrel through them – it depends on what he thinks will be the most expedient method of play. He’s a 30-goal scorer even at 23, but just as importantly, he matches his goals in assists. Tarasenko can be a finisher, or he can be a playmaker, and that is a dangerous thing to go up against.

Steen’s experience would neatly balance out Tarasenko and Lehtera’s youth, although Tarasenko’s hockey sense and creativity is right up there with Steen’s. Lehtera is the weakest link in this chain in terms of skill and production, but placing basically anyone on a line between Steen and Tarasenko will give you the same results. His ability to read the ice and anticipate where Tarasenko will be is of utmost use against the Jets’ second line.

Adding Steen’s creativity and two-way abilities to the mix means this line would rarely leave the offensive zone, re-entering quickly should Winnipeg move them off the puck at any point.

Conclusion:

St. Louis over Jets. It’s the smart bet.

Next: Trading David Backes: Is Now The Time?

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