Hmm, this thread cooled off since January…
Points in the Jets last 21 games (2 months ago, including the last part of Perfetti’s midseason drought):
25 Connor
22 Scheifele
20 Vilardi
19 Ehlers
17 Perfetti
13 Namestnikov
12 Morrissey
10 Samberg
7 Iafallo, DeMelo, Pionk
etc
Perfetti’s production in part comes on the powerplay, as the main driver of PP2. 5v4 points production over the past 21 games:
7 Connor
6 Ehlers, Vilardi
5 Perfetti, Scheifele
4 Morrissey
3 Niederreiter, Namestnikov
2 Pionk
1 Iafallo
…note that one player on PP2 is producing like he’s on PP1, given less than half the ice time (23:27 for Perfetti at 5v4, vs an average of just over 50 minutes for the forwards on PP1)
Looking at 5v5 points only, over the same 21 game stretch:
14 Scheifele
13 Connor, Vilardi
10 Ehlers
9 Samberg
8 Perfetti
7 Namestnikov, DeMelo
6 Morrissey
etc
Perfetti’s 5v5 P/60 in those 21 games is 1.78. Ehlers’ is 2.25.
Just for a completely random comparison, Appleton’s 5v5 P/60 over that time is 0.88.
Perfetti leads the Jets in CF% over the last 21 games (58.17%), and is 5th among the regulars in xGF% (62.8%), behind Barron, Iafallo, Ehlers and Namestnikov.
Some fans like to compare Perfetti to Jarvis and Lundell from the same draft class. Their boxscore stats this year:
Jarvis (60 games, ATOI 19:34): 26 goals, 25 assists, 51 points, +6
Lundell (67 games, ATOI 16:40): 15 goals, 26 assists, 41 points, +17
Perfetti (68 games, ATOI 14:56): 14 goals, 28 assists, 42 points, +19
…
Anyone who wrote Cole Perfetti off during his slump a few months ago may want to update that opinion. For the past 2 months, he’s producing as a top 6 forward, while getting 3rd line icetime and about a minute of powerplay time per game.
I think Perfetti is doing a lot to drive the production of his line, and of his powerplay unit. He’s forchecking and stripping pucks. He’s shielding to maintain possession, cycling down low, and using his vision to find passing lanes and set up scoring chances. He’s making smart reads in the defensive zone, and finding outlets for zone exits. He still has a muffin of a shot but he’s going to the net and getting tips and rebounds. And his game looks like it will translate to the playoffs — he’s not coming out of the lineup this year.