Jets Takeaways: Hellebuyck continues to build case for Hart Trophy
While Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is a virtual lock to win his third Vezina, shouldn’t the same be said about this year’s Hart Trophy?
WINNIPEG — Whether it’s a jeer or a cheer, Winnipeg Jets fans always hit the mark.
“Who’s your captain?“
“Silver medal.”
“Crosby’s better.”
“Where is Rutger?“
During Friday’s 4-0 win over the New Jersey Devils, the crowd’s chant was simpler, as a sold-out Canada Life Centre serenaded their franchise player with the ultimate praise.
“M-V-P.”
“M-V-P.”
“M-V-P.”
The NHL’s wittiest fanbase doesn’t hand out compliments like that just to be nice.
“They really believe in me and I’m really grateful to have them around and spend my career here,” Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck said after posting a 24-save shutout. “It means a lot.”
And it’s the truth.
Hellebuyck has unequivocally been the NHL’s most valuable player this year.
While the 31-year-old is a virtual lock to win his third Vezina, shouldn’t the same be said about this year’s Hart Trophy?
Hellebuyck leads the NHL in wins (42), goals-against average (2.02), save percentage (.925) and shutouts (seven). According to Sportsnet Stats, only two goalies in history — Jacques Plante in 1958-59, Bernie Parent in 1973-74 — have finished a season as the outright leader in all four of those categories. Both Plante and Parent won Stanley Cups those years, by the way.
Nobody will say it out loud, but most of the time, the Hart Trophy goes to the player that we all declare as the most “valuable” unanimously, while we secretly just mean “best.” We end up making a case that they’re the most valuable for reasons X, Y and Z, and the perception of value is sometimes skewed in these conversations — you can’t reduce it to, “Which team’s performance would suffer the most without a particular player.”
It’s not the With or Without You Trophy.
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That said, there’s something to be said about putting a team on your back. Remember back in 2018 when Taylor Hall won the Hart after dragging the Devils to a post-season berth? Hall, virtually single-handedly, propelled the Devils to success. Hellebuyck, too, has been instrumental in the Jets upholding their juggernaut status all year. He may not be dragging Winnipeg into the fight like Hall was, but he’s the backbone of the NHL’s most efficient defensive team.
What’s more valuable: Getting just over a point-per-game from a superstar skater — Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, etc. — or 60-plus regular-season games of high-end goaltending?
Hellebuyck has posted a save percentage above .900 in 72.7 per cent of his 55 starts this year. Since the 2014-15 season, only Igor Shesterkin in 2021-22 (75 per cent) and Pekka Rinne in 2017-18 (72.9 per cent) have posted a better single-season rate (minimum 50 games).
As for Hellebuyck’s thoughts on winning the Hart? The netminder doesn’t seem all too fixated on it.
“It would be cool, but whatever happens, happens,” he said.
He’s chasing a different piece of hardware.
Donnie Does
Whether it’s on the fourth line, penalty kill, power play or on the top line — Alex Iafallo always rises to the occasion.
His two goals Friday were a much-deserved reward for the Jets’ Swiss Army knife, who has filled in admirably for Gabriel Vilardi, alongside Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.
“He’s a phenomenal player,” Hellebuyck said. “You can play him anywhere in the lineup, and he’s going to be a huge difference-maker. I’m glad that he got on the board tonight, and I’m not shocked by it.”
Neither is head coach Scott Arniel.
“The thing about Al, if you notice, he’s first over the boards on the PK,” Arniel said. “I know he’s on our second power play, now he’s been bumped up (to the top unit) with the injury. He’s already been playing all year long on two of our specialty teams in key spots.
“To add more ice time, being with that top (line), he knows what he has to do to help that line have success.”
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32 Thoughts: The Podcast
Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.
Stoller Says
• They don’t call Luke Schenn the human eraser for nothing. The 35-year-old defenceman moved up to fourth all-time in career hits (3,636). Keep in mind, the stat has only been recorded by the NHL since 2005-06.
• I thought this quote from Devils defencemen Brett Pesce was telling.
“They just don’t give you much,” he said of the Jets. “They stick to their structure. They don’t beat themselves.”
