Dawson Mercer didn’t need long to start changing the look of the Winnipeg Jets.
Through 10 games with his new club, the 25-year-old forward has already turned into a real difference-maker. Mercer has five goals and three assists, and all five of those goals have come in his last four games. That kind of burst is exactly what the Jets were hoping for when they landed him from the New Jersey Devils in the trade that sent disgruntled goaltender Connor Hellebuyck the other way three weeks ago.
The production has come in a hurry. Mercer got his first goal as a Jet in the Nov. 5 6-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, then erupted for two more against his former team in the Nov. 10 4-2 win at Canada Life Centre.
One of those was the opening goal of the game in the first period, and the other was a third-period power-play marker that stood up as the winner. Two nights later, he added another pair in the Jets’ 8-3 rout of the Dallas Stars, including a backhand breakaway goal in the final seconds of the second period that pushed Winnipeg ahead 5-3.
“He finds places to get that stick open and get his shot off,” head coach Scott Arniel said after the victory of the Stars. “He’s confident now. I think the rust and newness of being on a new team is kind of gone and he looks like he’s real comfortable.”
That comfort has not come out of nowhere. Mercer’s first stretch in Winnipeg was quieter, with two assists in his first six games after a slow start in New Jersey that saw him go without a goal and finish with four assists in 10 games before the move.
But the timing of the trade made the adjustment a tough one. He arrived in Winnipeg late on Oct. 23 and was immediately dropped into the whirlwind of the blockbuster deal and the Heritage Classic buildup.
His first game with the Jets came outdoors at Princess Auto Stadium.
Now, though, the fit looks much cleaner. Mercer has settled in on the second line at right wing with Brayden Yager and Cole Perfetti, while also seeing time on the second power-play unit. The trio has combined for 15 points during the Jets’ five-game winning streak, and TSN’s Craig Button said in second intermission last night that he believes “the Winnipeg Jets may have found the second line they’ve been looking for for a couple of years,”
That kind of secondary punch has been a huge shift for Winnipeg. A lack of scoring beyond the top group was a major problem during the team’s nine-game losing streak and even before that, but Mercer’s surge has helped make the Jets look far less like a one-line team.
His presence has also taken some pressure off the Kyle Connor/Mark Scheifele/Gabriel Vilardi line, even though that trio did plenty of damage of its own against Dallas with four goals and nine points. Yager’s strong play since being called up from the Manitoba Moose has mattered too, and it has allowed Arniel to move 2026 eight-overall pick Viggo Bjorck into a less demanding third-line winger role. After shifting off second-line centre, the 18-year-old has looked more comfortable and has four assists in his last five games after going scoreless in his first 16.
The Hellebuyck situation still hangs over all of it. Jets fans have not forgotten how he handled things over the past number of months - publicly demanding a trade, refusing to report, and never offering specifics about why he wanted out of Winnipeg. That frustration was on full display at Canada Life Centre against the Devils, where the crowd was hostile and the chants were creative, even though Hellebuyck did not start and spent the game in a video room.
But if Mercer keeps producing like this, the Jets may have found a way to soften that blow.
In Other News...
Devils Hot Start Just Got A Boost Fans Have To See
Vladislav Kolyachonok gave the Devils the lift they needed early in the third period, breaking a tie and helping New Jersey surge past the Washington Capitals 5-2. The win kept the home momentum rolling, with the Devils extending their streak to seven straight at Prudential Center and continuing to look like one of the sharper teams in the Metropolitan Division.
Connor Hellebuyck also made a strong first impression in his first start for New Jersey since arriving from Winnipeg, turning aside 26 shots to steady the back end when the game was still in the balance. With the Devils sitting second in the division, this was the kind of complete effort that can make a hot start feel even more real. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Look Like A Team Ready For Another Big Swing
The Devils have already shown they are willing to make noise this season, and their latest move only reinforces that sense. With Connor Hellebuyck now in the fold, New Jersey has added a proven goaltender to a team that has started 14-6 and looks built to push deeper into the Eastern Conference race.
Washington has been a useful measuring stick, with the season series even at one win apiece and both clubs sitting in playoff position. For the Devils, the bigger story may be what comes next, because general manager Sunny Mehta has made it clear he is open to bold trades, and the Capitals stockpile of prospects and young players could give New Jersey another avenue to keep swinging big. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Passed A Tough Depth Test When They Needed It Most
With Brett Pesce, Johnny Kovacevic and Anthony Mantha all unavailable, the Devils had to lean on their depth against Washington and got exactly the kind of response a team hopes for in a pinch. Lenni Hameenaho and Kolyachonok both made their season debuts and both found the net, while Stefan Noesen returned to the lineup to give New Jersey another familiar piece back in the mix.
The bigger takeaway was how the group held together under pressure and still found a way to come through in a tight game. Kolyachonoks goal ended up deciding it, a reminder that on nights when the roster is stretched thin, the Devils can still get contributions from unexpected places and keep the damage from injuries from turning into an excuse. [Read more 🡒]