Laine, Ehlers learned from veteran Stastny during postseason

WINNIPEG - Trade deadline deals rarely work out as well as the one Kevin Cheveldayoff pulled off on February 26, when he brought Paul Stastny to Winnipeg in exchange for a first round pick in 2018, prospect Erik Foley, and a conditional fourth round selection in 2020.
Stastny was a horse throughout the playoffs, including the gruelling Second Round series against the Presidents Trophy winning Nashville Predators. He recorded 10 points during the seven-game marathon, including two goals and an assist in the deciding Game 7 at Bridgestone Arena.
It's unknown what the Jets will do with the soon to be unrestricted free agent, but his impact in just under three months was impressive. From the moment Stastny joined the Jets, he was put in the middle of young snipers Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, who both ended up with career highs in goals.

"He made a huge impact on the same line as me and Nikky," said Laine, who scored 10 times in Stastny's first seven games with the Jets. "He was always talking to us on the bench if we made a mistake, and when we made a mistake he was kind of teaching us what to do next time. I think our game was at a different level after he came and it was real nice to play with him. Hopefully we can play together sometime in the future."

Ehlers may not have scored during the postseason but he had 14 regular season points after Stastny's acquisition, and his play in the Jets end of the rink improved steadily upon Stastny's arrival.
"I learned a lot from him, he's a really smart hockey player," said Ehlers. "Off the ice he's a great guy too. Works hard, talks to everyone in the room and every single day he's happy. I learned a lot from him this year."
Stastny said it was the best decision he's made when he waived his no-trade clause to allow for the move to Winnipeg to happen. But until the NHL releases what the salary cap number will be in 2018-19, it's hard for Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to decide where he can fit the Jets centreman.
"We had a great exit meeting, we had some great conversations," said Cheveldayoff. "I don't get a chance to talk to the players too much on a daily basis so it was a great experience just sitting and talking to him here today.
"It's amazing how a player like that can come into your line-up and feel like he'd been a part of your line-up since forever. It's that chemistry and symmetry that's a testament to what type of person he is and how tight our group was."