Pair of Jets Forwards Enter Rocket Richard Race

A pair of Winnipeg Jets forwards have entered the Rocket Richard Trophy race.

Dec 23, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck (37) is joined by forwards Kyle Connor (81) and Mark Scheifele (55) as they celebrate a win over the Toronto Maple Leaf at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Winnipeg Jets are one of the favorites to win the 2025 Stanley Cup, and understandably so. Their goaltender is the best in the NHL, their defense is solid, and their offense is arguably the best team offense in the league.

Leading the Jets' offense is a pair of forwards who are entering the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer. The top offensive duo of Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele are leading the scoring charge for Winnipeg and each is closing the gap on goal scoring leader Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers.

Connor has been having a career-defining season for the Jets. He leads the team in overall scoring with 66 points in 53 games and has 30 goals. The United States-born winger is averaging 1.25 points per game, the highest pace of his NHL career, and sits six goals back of Draisaitl.

Scheifele is also nipping at the heels of Draisaitl. He's a bit ahead of his teammate, with 31 goals on the year. He also has 28 assists and 59 points in 53 games. Sitting five goals back of Draisaitl, he's scored four goals over the last three games and is averaging .58 goals per game, putting him on pace for somewhere between 47 and 50 goals.

The scoring race in the NHL is going to be one of the tightest races of the year. Last year, Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs built up a 12-goal cushion when he captured the Rocket Richard. This year's race is going to be much closer if this point of the season is any indication. Connor and Scheifele each have an excellent shot of not only narrowing the gap further, but possibly surpassing Draisaitl altogether. Each forward is vital to Winnipeg's success and individually having career-high campaigns. It's brought the 2025 Rocket Richard Trophy race into a multi-player race with just under 30 games left in the regular season.

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