Nikolaj Ehlers is the man of the hour for today here at Jets Nation. As we continue to patiently await for the news of a contract extension for Cole Perfetti, it’s time to look at what the 2024-25 season will hold for another member of the Jets top 6.

I feel like it’s late enough in to the off-season to suggest that Ehlers won’t be traded this off-season. Of course, I could be wrong, and that could change at any moment, but I feel confident in stating that Ehlers will be in the opening night lineup. Trade distractions aside, the expectations for Ehlers this season should be among the highest of the Jets core players. Not only is Ehlers in his prime playing days at 28, he’s also entering the final year of his contract, with a potentially big pay raise in his next deal.

That being said, what are the expectations for the Danish winger in 2024-25? Speaking in terms of numbers, will this season be the year where Ehlers reaches 30 goals for the 1st time in his career? Could Ehlers push for 40 assists for the 1st time in his career? Both numbers seem attainable, especially after Ehlers’ 2nd best season of his career with 25 goals and 36 assists for 61 points.

The difference between last year and this year is that Ehlers will be more heavily relied upon on the Jets projected 2nd line. If Ehlers is on a line with Vladislav Namestnikov and Cole Perfetti, Ehlers will be the one expected to “carry” his linemates to success. Perfetti appears to be on the verge of a true breakout season, while Namestnikov could be tasked with playing more minutes than he’s used to playing in recent years, so Ehlers will be the one expected to make this projected line produce at a high rate.

Going back to Ehlers himself, I do expect him to put a certain level of pressure on himself to have a career year this upcoming season. You’ve probably seen some other examples around the league of other players playing well in the final year of their current contract. Ehlers has already proved himself in the league, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be motivated to work extra hard to earn his next contract.

Before I get to my projections for Ehlers in the 2024-25 season, I think it’s fair to mention the lack of playoff production seen from Ehlers thus far. In 37 career playoff games, Ehlers has only scored 4 goals and has a total of 10 assists for 14 points. If the Jets make the playoffs this year (which I expect them to do), then all eyes would turn to Ehlers before he becomes a free agent, assuming a contract extension hasn’t been reached mid-season. Can Ehlers finally make an impact in the playoffs? If he indeed can, even to some extent, it will go a long way in the overall narrative of Ehlers’ career with the Jets.

Now for my projections for Ehlers, who I expect to have a potentially career best year in 2024-25. I think Perfetti will have his share of goals on “line 2”, so Ehlers should be slotted in for another 25 goal season. The assists total is where I think Ehlers will improve upon this season. I’m projecting that Ehlers reaches 45 assists this upcoming season, which would put his point total at a career best of 70.

As stated before, you can’t underestimate any player who is entering their final year of their current contract. Whether a contract extension is agreed on mid-season or not, Ehlers will be focused on continuing the consistency in his production seen in his 9 seasons with the Jets. If this unfortunately is the last season for Ehlers as a member of the Jets, this season will be a chance to appreciate what he has done for Winnipeg over the first 10 seasons of his career. I have full confidence in saying that the great Dane will be ready to go out there and give it everything he’s got in the 2024-25 NHL season, which is now just 2 months away.