The Jackets are hot – led by an end-of-year trophy contender, while a teenage phenom is putting up some wild goal numbers out west. Let's dive right into this edition of the Mid-Week Heat Check.
Seth Jones – Columbus Defenseman
Give Seth Jones the damn Norris Trophy right now.
Okay, so guys like John Klingberg, Victor Hedman and others have been outstanding this year, but Jones has been absolutely outstanding. With 12 games to play, he’s already far surpassed his career high with 48 points in 70 games (previous career high: 42 in 75 games), showing that he is a true do-it-all defenseman.
Jones can do nothing wrong right now.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/iW4qxfaXv6
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) March 12, 2018
Not a typo: He now has three more goals (and points) than the guy he was traded for – Ryan Johansen – who has a 11-35-45 line anchoring the Nashville Predators’ top line.
He’s been good all season, but he’s gone nuclear in the last three games – putting up a staggering 4-3-7 line over that time frame.
Even while Jones is the obvious choice for this week’s Heat Check, there were plenty of candidates for the Jackets’ slot in this feature. Alexander Wennberg’s riding a four-game point streak that includes a four-point night on Monday (1-6-7 over that four-game span), and Artemi Panarin’s on a five-game point streak (3-5-8).
Basically, times are good for the Blue Jackets right now, but Seth Jones is standing above and beyond.
Patrik Laine - Winnipeg Forward
If Seth Jones is on fire, there’s no word for how hot Patrik Laine is.
A presumed (but not confirmed) SpeedyRewards member, Laine’s goal-scoring powers seem to have grown at a commiserate rate with his scraggly, disgusting beard.
Over his last 13 games, Laine has an absurd 16 goals, lighting the lamp on 38 (!!!) percent of his shots over that span. He’s only gone goal-less in one game during that span – a game in which he still notched two assists. Laine’s line: 16-6-22.
Between his 41 goals this year and 36 in his rookie campaign, Laine’s scored 77 goals in his still-young NHL career. Remember...this guy’s still a teenager.
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