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One doesn’t need to work hard to build a case for Scheifele’s candidacy.

Going into Thursday’s game with the Calgary Flames, Scheifele already has 22 goals and 49 points in 36 games.

Scheifele is sixth in the NHL in points, tied for sixth in goals and he’s second in the entire league in time on ice among forwards, averaging 22:43 per game.

Only Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (22:59) has played more up front and it’s two seconds more than McDavid.

Of Scheifele’s 22 goals, five are game-winners and three have come in overtime.

When a big goal needs to be scored, Scheifele has often been involved with it.

And it’s not just the numbers that stand out for Scheifele, who has formed one of the top duos in the NHL with Jets captain Blake Wheeler.

Scheifele also plays a key role on both special-teams units and is often asked to go head-to-head with the opposition’s top line.

His value to the Jets is undeniable.

It was just last season when Wheeler proved to be a Hart Trophy candidate with his play, both before and after a pair of upper-body injuries put Scheifele on the shelf.

Wheeler’s play continues to be at an extremely high level and he’s helped push Scheifele since his arrival on the scene in 2011.

“Well when the scouts talked about what we’d be getting, or what they envisioned we’d be getting, they envisioned we would be getting a player that would be a complete hockey player that would have high skill and high drive,” Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said in a recent interview. “They’re the ones that basically said this is the direction we want to go. And we’re very thankful that they had the foresight and the conviction to say it. There are some things that the scouts get to do, they get to watch the player and evaluate the player. They talk about the person and we’ve benefitted immensely on the personal side of it. Just on the type of person that he is, the way he approaches the game, the way he cares about the game, himself and his teammates. There are lots of great players in this league. But we feel very fortunate to have one of the best players both on and off the ice.”