Jan 18, 2016; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets right wing Blake Wheeler (26) loses his helmet as he battles Colorado Avalanche defenseman Francois Beauchemin (32) during the second period at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets both have high expectations this season in the ultra-competitive Central Division.

The Central Division is the definitive powerhouse of the NHL. Between the Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, St Louis Blues, Nashville Predators and the Minnesota Wild, it is a serious challenge for the Colorado Avalanche every year. This year should be no different, and the Avs can add the Winnipeg Jets to this list of unforgiving Central Division competition.

Since the NHL realigned their divisions in 2013, the Jets have been stuck at the bottom of the food chain of the Central Division. Between the enthusiasm of their dedicated and awesome fan base, the high expectations of being an NHL franchise in Canada and a history of frustration and disappointment in Atlanta, the Jets franchise has had much to contend with. However, this could be the year they put it all together.

Honestly, the Jets are an incredibly dangerous and skilled team. GM Kevin Chevaldayoff has been with the team since the summer of the relocation to Winnipeg (2011). Despite only making the playoffs once in five years of stewardship, the Jets have trusted “Chevy” to rebuild the franchise. Utilizing the draft, player development and patience, Chevaldayoff has put together a team that is poised for a breakout year. Side Note: it took Chevaldayoff over three years as GM to make his first player-for-player trade. Patience indeed!

Compared to the all-star studded rosters of the rest of the Central Division, the Jets roster doesn’t stand out. However, the offense is dangerous, although a little lacking in depth. Forwards Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Mark Scheifele, and)Mathieu Perreault assure that the Jets maintain a consistent scoring threat.

Last year, flashy Danish rookie Nikolaj Ehlers put up 38 points, and projects to become a top-line scorer. He plays in the style of Teemu Selanne and is extremely fun to watch.

Most importantly, 2nd overall pick Patrik Laine from this year’s draft will join the Jets this year and is ready to make an impact. Laine has modeled his game after Alex Ovechkin and has done a pretty good job. He is a superstar in the making. These six players give the Jets a legitimate top-six, albeit, one that still needs to figure it all out. The bottom six consists of a nice mix of gritty and skilled role players.

On defense, the Jets boast the intimidating presence of Dustin Byufglien, who can score and hit. Remember the time he ran over Tyson Barrie?

Besides Byfuglien, opposing teams have Tyler Myers and Jacob Trouba to deal with. Like Byfuglien, these guys are bruisers, providing intimidation along with defensive prowess. Jacob Trouba is a former 9th overall pickand has been compared to Scott Stevens with offensive upside

Curently, Trouba is an unsigned RFA asking for both a significant raise and a bigger role on the Jets. Truthfully part of me was hoping Sakic would be able to work out a Barrie for Trouba trade and give the Avs an Adam Foote, part 2. And he did this to the Colorado Avalanche last year

Rounding out the D-corps is offensive-minded Toby Enstrom and depth skaters Ben Chiarot, Paul Postma and alternate captain Mark Stuart. Overall, this is not the best D-corps imaginable, but they are pretty solid and reliable. If only Jacob Trouba could become the Scott Steven’s like force, then the Jets would be set.

Goaltenders are a strange situation for the Jets. They’ve been led by Ondrej Pavelec, who usually plays either lights out or is one of the worst in the league. Fortunately, the Jets have Michael Hutchinson riding shotgun and Connor Hellebucyk in the minors.

Due to injuries, all three goalies played over 25 games last season. Hellebuyck memorably went 7-3 in his first ten games played in the league, while both Pavelec and Hutchinson had stretches of solid play as well.

Overall, this roster is not as flashy as many others in the Central. Despite this, the Jets are a competitive team that keeps up by playing a hard, fast and grinding game. Youth is on their side; both Scheifele and Ehlers could become All-Star caliber players, while Laine could become an elite player in the league very quickly. Like the Avs, they’re expecting growth from key players and have high expectations. Either way, they should not be overlooked.

Changes Made in the Offseason

After trading captain Andrew Ladd to the Blackhawks at the trade deadline last season, the offseason for the Jets has been productive, although quiet. Most significantly, the Jets drafted and signed 2nd overall pick Patrik Laine to an entry level contract. Laine is an incredible talent, rather than say too much about him, here’s highlights from the SM-Liiga, Finland’s top league.

After the draft, the Jets resigned Mark Scheifele to an 8 year contract. The former 7th overall pick is poised for a big season. Additionally, top six winger Mathieu Perreault resigned for four years.

In free agency, the Jets added depth by signing former Av Shawn Matthias – who rejected the Avs contract offer in favor of playing in Canada. I’m extremely disappointed he chose not to stay, but he’ll fit in with the Jets well. Additionally, Brian Strait and Quinton Howden joined the Jets roster. Other than that, the offseason has been relatively quiet in Winnipeg.

The last order of business is resigning Jacob Trouba to a long-term contract. The 2012 9th overall pick is a key piece of the Jets rebuild and is expecting a big raise.

How the Colorado Avalanche Stack Up Against the Jets

Generally, I’d like to think that this is a team that the Avs should be beating consistently. However, given the projected growth of the Jets and the inconsistency shown by the Colorado Avalanche in the last two seasons, it’s far from a certainty.

The Jets play a game based on speed and grinding. While the Avs have the skill to beat the Jets on a consistent basis, the Jets style of play can be a weakness for the often complacent Colorado Avalanche. By matching the Jets physically, committing to a game of hard work, and winning small battles, the Avs can utilize their own speed and skill to take advantage of the Jets.

Predictions for the Colorado Avalanche Against the Jets

Last season, the Avs went 3-2 against the Jets and finished the season four points ahead of the them. I would expect a similar result this season. The Jets are a team looking to take a step forward and make an impression on the league. If the Avs are unable to figure out their consistency issues, look for the Jets to move out of the basement of the Central Division and finish ahead of the Avs. I don’t think this will happen, but the Jets won’t be waiting around for the Avs to put their game together.

This year the Jets and Avs will face off five times, including the second home game of the season. Here’s the list:

Friday, October 28 @ Colorado, 7 PM

Friday, November 11 @ Colorado 7 PM

Sunday, December 18 @ Winnipeg 1 PM

Saturday, February 4 @ Colorado 1 PM

Saturday March 4 @ Winnipeg 5 PM

Last season, the Avs went 3-2 against the Jets and finished the season four points ahead of the them. I would expect a similar result this season. The Jets are a team looking to take a step forward and make an impression on the league, but so are the Avs. This means that these games could be critical matchups for both teams and extremely competitive (what NHL game aren’t these days?), as both teams will be fighting to stay out of the Central Division basement.

If the Colorado Avalanche are unable to figure out the consistency issues that have plagued them the last two seasons, I’d expect the Jets to win the series and finish ahead of the Avs in the standings. I don’t think this will happen, but the Jets won’t be waiting around for the Avs to put their game together. If the Avs are able to take a step forward, they have enough skill to beat the Jets regularly and win the season series.

The game on October 28th is the most important. It will only be the Avs second game at home after four games and nearly two weeks on the road. They’ll need to win this for the fans and to set the tone for the rest of the year against Winnipeg.

Authors Note

I really like the Jets team – they have some really cool pieces on their roster. It might not seem to be as exciting a matchup as Dallas or Chicago, but they could be really cool games that fly under the radar. Between Laine, Wheeler, Byfuglien, Ehlers and Scheifele, there’s bound to be some good hockey going on.