The Winnipeg Jets are absolutely loaded with talent up front. The problem is that for as good as they have been at the offensive end of the ice they haven’t been nearly good enough defensively to take that next step in the Western Conference. Winnipeg reloaded in the offseason with the addition of a potential No. 1 goaltender and a top-four defenseman. All eyes will be on the Jets to see if they can take another step forward and reach the playoffs in 2017-18.
How They Finished Last Season
Winnipeg finished with the ninth-best record in the Western Conference a year ago. However, the reality is that they were never really close to contending for a playoff spot. The Jets won seven in a row to close out the regular season but still finished seven points back of the Nashville Predators for the eighth seed. Winnipeg will attempt to build off that strong finish to last season. They will need a better start to the year if they are going to contend in the Western Conference.
What Changed In The Offseason
The Jets didn’t suffer any significant losses in the offseason as they replaced goaltender Ondrej Pavelec with Steve Mason and upgraded on defense when they replaced defenseman Paul Postma with Dmitry Kulikov. Mason and Kulikov could help Winnipeg at its own end of the ice but the real improvements will have to come from the players they already had on their roster. Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers make up a potent group of scorers and they could have even more help this year if top prospect Kyle Connor takes the next step.
Most Valuable Fantasy Hockey Asset
The Jets have several top forward options but Laine has the best potential of all of them. The second-overall pick from the 2016 NHL Draft made an instant impact as a rookie when he scored 36 goals and finished with 64 points in 73 games. Laine just turned 19-years-old in April so his ceiling should be even higher for the 2017-18 season. Scheifele, Wheeler and Ehlers should all be reliable fantasy options this coming year. Laine has the highest potential ceiling out of all of them.
Rising Star
The Jets haven’t produced a playoff appearance as of yet but there’s a reason why the team’s general manager earned a contract extension: the up-and-coming young corps of forwards. There’s no question that they are still a little ways away but the team does look like they’ll be a playoff contender either this year or in a couple of years to come. Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine are already very good. The next player to keep an eye on is Kyle Connor.
Connor should be among the contenders for the Calder Trophy this season and the team is hoping that he can contribute early and find a role among the top-six forwards. He has been a consistent scorer throughout his career, netting 33 goals in 35 goals with the University of Michigan while also setting records with 34 goals and 80 points in the 2014-15 season with Youngstown of the USHL.
He has potential to finish in the 15-25 goal range if everything goes well. That would be great for the Jets as they need more weapons up front to compete in a strong Western Conference.
Regular Season Win Total Outlook
The NHL futures regular season win total line for Winnipeg has been set at 41.5. That means the Jets will need two more wins than they recorded a year ago in order to exceed expectations and go over the total. Winnipeg appears to have upgraded defensively with the additions of Kulikov and Mason while young defensemen like Josh Morrissey and Jacob Trouba are set to take another step forward. The Jets have one of the most talented forward cores in the NHL but they need to play better defensively to provide more support for the defensemen. If Winnipeg can stay healthy and make the necessary adjustments in their own end, they should be able to take that next step in the Western Conference as a true playoff contender in 2017-18.
Pick: Over 41.5 Wins
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