Could Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets be headed for an awkward reunion at training camp?<\/p>\n
As unlikely as that might sound, Hellebuyck is under contract for five more seasons, with his full no-movement clause opening up to a 10-team approved trade list next summer. Stuart Skinner probably didn\u2019t sign in Winnipeg with the thought of becoming Hellebuyck\u2019s backup, but the Jets still haven\u2019t finalized a trade. The bidding war they hoped for did not materialize.<\/p>\n
Rival clubs may need to see their goaltending fail before stepping up with an offer that satisfies Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. Meanwhile, it\u2019s time to start thinking of two versions of Winnipeg\u2019s 2026-27 opening night roster \u2014 one with Hellebuyck and one without him.<\/p>\n
Which version of the Jets\u2019 future do you believe in the most?<\/p>\n
NHL free agency: Early winners and losers<\/p>\n
Shayna Goldman and Madison Eades<\/p>\n
Forwards (with Hellebuyck)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s September and no one has stepped up to satisfy Cheveldayoff\u2019s asking price for Hellebuyck. The 33-year-old gold medalist is still a Jet, meaning that Winnipeg has the NHL\u2019s best goaltending tandem at a $12.25 million cap hit. It\u2019s an unlikely long-term solution, but the absence of a trade return has opened up opportunities on the Jets\u2019 second line:<\/p>\n
LWCRW<\/p>\n
Kyle Connor<\/p>\n
Mark Scheifele<\/p>\n
Gabriel Vilardi<\/p>\n
Cole Perfetti<\/p>\n
Viggo Bj\u00f6rck<\/p>\n
Brad Lambert<\/p>\n
Nino Niederreiter<\/p>\n
Adam Lowry<\/p>\n
Alex Iafallo<\/p>\n
Cole Koepke<\/p>\n
Morgan Barron<\/p>\n
Isak Ros\u00e9n<\/p>\n
Vladislav Namestnikov<\/p>\n
Depth options<\/p>\n
Injured<\/p>\n
Top prospects<\/p>\n
Walker Duehr<\/p>\n
Brayden Yager<\/p>\n
Noah Gregor<\/p>\n
Danny Zhilkin<\/p>\n
Parker Ford<\/p>\n
Colby Barlow<\/p>\n
Nikita Chibrikov<\/p>\n
Kevin He<\/p>\n
Lucas Wahlin<\/p>\n
Kieron Walton<\/p>\n
Jacob Julien<\/p>\n
Roster locks:\u00a0Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi, Cole Perfetti, Adam Lowry, Nino Niederreiter, Alex Iafallo, Vladislav Namestnikov, Morgan Barron, Brad Lambert, Cole Koepke, Isak Ros\u00e9n<\/p>\n
Vying for spots: Viggo Bj\u00f6rck, Noah Gregor, Walker Duehr, Danny Zhilkin, Parker Ford, Nikita Chibrikov, Brayden Yager, Colby Barlow, Fabian Wagner, Jacob Julien, Kevin He, Kieron Walton, Lucas Wahlin<\/p>\n
The story:\u00a0The Jets have not acquired a second-line centre via a Hellebuyck trade, meaning they must find one within the organization.<\/p>\n
There are several in-house options, each requiring a tweak to our projected lines \u2014 Vilardi, Barron, Lowry, or Perfetti \u2014 but we\u2019ve gone back to Winnipeg\u2019s most frequent historical approach. Connor, Scheifele and Vilardi are the most likely first line, Lowry plays a shutdown role and the Jets look to Perfetti and the next best group of players to produce offence on a secondary scoring line.<\/p>\n
The difficult decisions: This scenario creates a real (and ideally spectacular) battle for jobs on Winnipeg\u2019s second line. Perfetti appears to be a lock in that role. He\u2019s not a likely shutdown line player, nor have the Jets tried Connor-Scheifele-Perfetti at any point. If the Jets are serious about getting faster or creating opportunities for youth, then Bj\u00f6rck, Lambert, Yager and Barron are all competing for the other two jobs.<\/p>\n
Lambert and Barron are the fastest skaters, while Cheveldayoff named Yager as a potential second-line centre solution in his pre-draft media availability. We\u2019ve still picked Bj\u00f6rck as the Jets\u2019 season-opening 2C in this scenario. If Bj\u00f6rck succeeds, he\u2019ll be the first Jets player since Ville Heinola (2019) to make the team right after being drafted and the first since Patrik Laine (2016) to stay on the roster. If Bj\u00f6rck isn\u2019t ready, he can play in the SHL until Djurg\u00e5rden\u2019s season ends and join the Jets for the stretch run. (There\u2019s also a case for Bj\u00f6rck to start in the SHL<\/a> regardless of what level he\u2019s at.)<\/p>\n It is strange to feel more confident about Lambert securing his spot on the second line while believing Bj\u00f6rck is the better bet to be successful if he makes the team. Lambert occasionally started getting to inside ice against NHL players last season, but his eight points in 31 NHL games (and 106 points in 174 AHL games) do not convey certain success in a top-six role.<\/p>\n Difficult decisions included assigning Yager to the AHL and exposing Chibrikov and Zhilkin to waivers. The Jets are more likely to bet on improved health for Niederreiter and Namestnikov than to clear a path for more prospects. If they started the season with Bj\u00f6rck, Lambert and Ros\u00e9n in the lineup, the Jets could accurately claim they were giving more opportunities to young players.<\/p>\n Forwards (without Hellebuyck)<\/p>\n If the Jets do trade Hellebuyck, they would ideally acquire a proven second-line centre or, failing that, a right wing. The good news is that most of Winnipeg\u2019s likely trade partners have top-six forwards to offer.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll lean into a potential trade with the Buffalo Sabres: Hellebuyck for Josh Norris, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, prospect Radim Mrtka and Buffalo\u2019s 2027 first-round pick. There are other possibilities, with the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights among teams who appear to need goaltending help, but Buffalo is the most natural fit in terms of trade assets \u2014 not to mention trade talks with Winnipeg that got close before the draft<\/a> and continued afterward.<\/p>\n For our purposes, Norris becomes Winnipeg\u2019s second-line centre, Luukkonen forms a tandem with Skinner, and the 6-foot-6 Mrtka plays a big role for the AHL Manitoba Moose. If you want to get more creative in the comments, perhaps creating a three-team proposal that involves Carolina, the Seattle Kraken, Alexander Nikishin, Shane Wright and whatever other assets you feel would be necessary, that\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n LWCRW<\/p>\n Kyle Connor<\/p>\n Mark Scheifele<\/p>\n Alex Iafallo<\/p>\n Cole Perfetti<\/p>\n Josh Norris<\/p>\n Gabriel Vilardi<\/p>\n Nino Niederreiter<\/p>\n Adam Lowry<\/p>\n Brad Lambert<\/p>\n Cole Koepke<\/p>\n Morgan Barron<\/p>\n Isak Ros\u00e9n<\/p>\n Vladislav Namestnikov<\/p>\n Depth options<\/p>\n Injured<\/p>\n Top prospects<\/p>\n Walker Duehr<\/p>\n Viggo Bj\u00f6rck<\/p>\n Noah Gregor<\/p>\n Brayden Yager<\/p>\n Parker Ford<\/p>\n Danny Zhilkin<\/p>\n Nikita Chibrikov<\/p>\n Colby Barlow<\/p>\n Lucas Wahlin<\/p>\n Kevin He<\/p>\n Kieron Walton<\/p>\n Jacob Julien<\/p>\n Roster locks:\u00a0Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi, Josh Norris, Cole Perfetti, Adam Lowry, Nino Niederreiter, Alex Iafallo, Vladislav Namestnikov, Morgan Barron, Brad Lambert, Cole Koepke, Isak Ros\u00e9n<\/p>\n Vying for spots: Viggo Bj\u00f6rck, Noah Gregor, Walker Duehr, Danny Zhilkin, Parker Ford, Nikita Chibrikov, Brayden Yager, Colby Barlow, Fabian Wagner, Jacob Julien, Kevin He, Kieron Walton, Lucas Wahlin<\/p>\n The story: The Jets\u2019 playoff hopes rest on a Skinner\/Luukkonen tandem in goal and a second-line centre with a track record of NHL success. If it\u2019s Norris, then Winnipeg is faster and younger than it was last season, although at the mercy of Norris\u2019 health; he\u2019s averaged 47 games per season since making the NHL full-time in 2020.<\/p>\n The difficult decisions: The arrival of any established NHL player takes a job away from someone further down the lineup.<\/p>\n We\u2019re willing to consider Winnipeg using Namestnikov as the 13th forward, but that\u2019s not an indication that Winnipeg will move him or another veteran to make room for younger players. (There\u2019s also the possibility that Namestnikov, Niederreiter, Lowry, Perfetti and Winnipeg\u2019s other injured forwards from last season have more game in them than their stats show.) What\u2019s clear is that some players will continue to get buried unless the Jets change their approach to lineup construction.<\/p>\n The Jets have talked more about prioritizing speed and new approaches this summer than they usually do, but past offseason promises have not always led to new looks during training camp<\/a>. There doesn\u2019t appear to be enough room in this scenario for Barron to play up the lineup or for Lambert and Ros\u00e9n to each get big minutes, even if they earn them.<\/p>\n Other tough decisions involve deployment. Lambert is not an ideal stylistic fit for shutdown duty, so it may be worth reuniting Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi and giving the third-line job back to Iafallo. Lowry and Niederreiter need to have big seasons, lest the old-fashioned but formerly effective shutdown line idea fall apart once again. From a different angle, these familiar questions could be seen as an opportunity for Winnipeg to try something new.<\/p>\n Defence Josh Morrissey<\/p>\n Dylan DeMelo<\/p>\n Dylan Samberg<\/p>\n Neal Pionk<\/p>\n Mario Ferraro<\/p>\n Jack St. Ivany<\/p>\n Haydn Fleury<\/p>\n Depth options<\/p>\n Injured<\/p>\n Top prospects<\/p>\n Henry Thrun<\/p>\n Elias Salomonsson<\/p>\n Garrett Brown<\/p>\n Tyrel Bauer<\/p>\n Sascha Boumedienne<\/p>\n Isaak Phillips<\/p>\n Alfons Freij<\/p>\n Roster locks:\u00a0Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, Dylan Samberg, Neal Pionk, Mario Ferraro, Elias Salomonsson, Haydn Fleury<\/p>\n Vying for spots:\u00a0Jack St. Ivany, Tyrel Bauer, Henry Thrun, Garrett Brown, Alfons Freij, Isaak Phillips<\/p>\n The story:\u00a0Winnipeg\u2019s left side is an organizational strength, its right side needs help and September 30 will be five months to the day since Salomonsson had shoulder surgery<\/a>. We have Salomonsson starting the season on IR, given his initial timeline of five to six months, and expect some fans to be disappointed we haven\u2019t given him a top-four role.<\/p>\n The difficult decisions: Will Winnipeg go back to its most familiar defence pairs or try something new?<\/p>\n It would be reasonable to start 2026-27 concerned with Winnipeg\u2019s dependence on Pionk and DeMelo as top-four defencemen. Neither player produced meaningful offence, nor did the Jets dominate the scoreboard like they used to do with Morrissey-DeMelo or Samberg-Pionk on the ice.<\/p>\n The Jets\u2019 depleted forward group plays a role in that, but it\u2019s clear the team needs an upgrade on defence, ideally in the form of the top-pairing right-shot defenceman that all teams covet.<\/p>\n In the short term, Winnipeg needs to decide on a third pair while Salomonsson is hurt. Ferraro is capable of playing either side and is a good bet to succeed whether partnered with Salomonsson, St. Ivany or Fleury. We\u2019ve picked St. Ivany, the 6-foot-4 right shot acquired in the David Gustafsson trade<\/a> with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the Jets may run Fleury and Ferraro until Salomonsson returns.<\/p>\n Bauer made big strides last season, establishing himself as a viable second-pairing defenceman in Manitoba. It\u2019s a long way from that spot to the NHL, but the Jets\u2019 roster is so devoid of fighters and hitters that I\u2019d expect Winnipeg to take a long look at Bauer in training camp.<\/p>\n The Jets\u2019 2026-27 opening night lineup<\/p>\n There are several reasons why this projection could be wrong, but I\u2019m going to pick a lane.<\/p>\n
\n LDRD<\/p>\n