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Winnipeg Jets: 5 burning questions for 2018-19 season

By Bruin Belisle

WINNIPEG, MB - MAY 12: Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck #37 and Dustin Byfuglien #33 of the Winnipeg Jets celebrate following a 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game One of the Western Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 12, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Jets lead the series 1-0. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - MAY 12: Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck #37 and Dustin Byfuglien #33 of the Winnipeg Jets celebrate following a 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game One of the Western Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 12, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Jets lead the series 1-0. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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WINNIPEG, MB – MAY 20: Patrik Laine #29 of the Winnipeg Jets looks on during a third period face-off against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the Western Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 20, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Knights defeated the Jets 2-1 and win the series 4-1. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB – MAY 20: Patrik Laine #29 of the Winnipeg Jets looks on during a third period face-off against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the Western Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 20, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Knights defeated the Jets 2-1 and win the series 4-1. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /

1. Will Patrik Laine be able to put up the same numbers without a beard?

Patrik Laine starts this season as probably the second best goal scorer in the National Hockey League. If you don’t consider him the best, then he sits behind only Alex Ovechkin. This is fitting because only Ovechkin has scored more goals than him over the past two seasons.

Ovechkin has 82 goals since the 2016-17 season began. In that same amount of time, Laine has netted 80. What makes this ridiculous is that these were Laine’s first two seasons in the league. This kid can score goals in a league where they’ve never been harder to come by.

At only 20 years old, Laine is still getting better. He’s also in the early stages of growing any form of facial hair. Last season, he grew out one of the most hideous, amazing, disgusting, beautiful beards that the NHL had ever seen.

Many in Winnipeg rallied behind the beard. Laine himself called it his good luck charm as he rattled-off a 15-game point streak last season. He took the beard with him into the playoffs as well, where he scored five more goals and added seven helpers.

Since the end of the season, Laine has shaved off his magical troll beard and is sporting a baby-faced look through the summer months.

https://twitter.com/EHClothing/status/1000081006655819776/photo/1

Now, the obvious solution here is that Laine could just start growing his beard again. Regardless of what happens, there is no narrative here that sees him having a bad season in 2018-19. To be an elite goal-scorer at only 20 years old means there is no way but up for Laine. He also played in all 82 regular season games for the Jets last season so expect more of the same durability this upcoming year.

Don’t be surprised, though, if we get a couple of games into the season without a Laine goal and you start to see some stubble on his chin. The league is a better place with that awful looking beard on his face anyway.

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There is a lot more that can go right than can go wrong for the Jets next season. They are poised to be back in the Stanley Cup mix as they are currently (probably) one of the best four teams in the league.

Given the upcoming contract situations and the age of their leadership core, expect this team to push to win right now. They have what it takes for a Cup now so don’t be surprised if the Winnipeg whiteout lasts a little longer next spring.

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