The Winnipeg Jets struck again on Wednesday night in a big win over the Colorado Avalanche. And they can credit two of their offensive stars.
The Jets knew they would have to navigate a storm without star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck as he continues to seek a trade. But another Connor has picked up the slack. Across four games, the Jets have scored 12 goals, and Kyle Connor is responsible for putting five of them into the net.
On Wednesday, Connor struck twice, scoring at the 4:01 mark of the first period on a tip-in. With a minute to go in the contest, Connor notched the game-winner and the Jets unseated the mighty Avalanche, 3-2.
Perfetti scored his third goal of the season off a deflection at 18:16 of the second period. Do the math, and Connor and Perfetti have scored eight of the Jets’ 12 goals in 2026-27. That’s two-thirds, and one of the more outstanding marks in the NHL.
But for a team that ranked 14th in goals scored heading into the contest, it’s also a double-edged sword. And it raises the question: How long can the Jets rely on Connor’s and Perfetti’s heroics?
Winnipeg Jets Must Get More Scorers Involved
So far, only Dylan DeMelo, Mario Ferraro, Alex Iafallo, and Adam Lowry have found the net for the Jets besides Connor and Perfetti. DeMelo and Ferraro are both defense-first blueliners who won’t score in the same way that Josh Morrissey has in the past.
Morrissey has 28 goals over his last two seasons in Winnipeg. And while he has posted a solid three assists, Morrissey has yet to score despite recording 11 shots on goal. He was shaken up in Wednesday night’s win, so that’s a development to keep tabs on.
Gabriel Vilardi put up 30 goals in 2025-26. While he has two assists in four games, Vilardi has quietly proven to be one of the league’s better scorers. Since arriving in Winnipeg in 2023-24, Vilardi has 79 goals and a 19.6 shooting percentage.
Nobody has more incentive to score consistently for the Jets than Mark Scheifele. Scheifele was shut out of the scoring department over the Jets’ first three games, and he logged two assists on Wednesday. Still, the Jets are a more dangerous team when Scheifele is regularly putting pucks in the back of the net.
Winnipeg’s Lack Of Scoring Help Doesn’t Steal Connor’s and Perfetti’s Thunder
Regardless, Connor and Perfetti are doing something phenomenal. Five goals in four games puts Connor on an eye-popping 84-game pace to score 105 times. That probably won’t happen unless Connor finds a way to remain in midseason form all year. But it shows how much of an impact he has had in the early going.
Perfetti is on pace for 63 goals and 126 points. It’s another outrageous number that will gravitate toward the median. But Perfetti is quickly showing that he can realistically shatter his single-season record of 50 points that he set in 2024-25.
If and when the Jets find ways to get more players involved offensively, expect Connor and Perfetti to lead the scoring attack. Barring injury, there is no question that this dynamic duo will be slated to enjoy some career seasons. They will get a chance to inflict damage again on Friday vs. the Anaheim Ducks.
Winnipeg Jets Are Getting Increasingly Dependent On Kyle Connor, Cole Perfetti