3 Predictions for the Winnipeg Jets' 2026-27 Seasons

Something about the Winnipeg Jets last season was plain strange. This team had been one of the NHL's better regular-season clubs, and then suddenly it wasn't. The Jets finished 35-35-12 with 82 points, and just about everything that could go sideways did. The veterans looked slow, the defence struggled to move the puck, injuries piled up, and when Connor Hellebuyck was out, the goaltending fell off a cliff.

Now Hellebuyck seems to be on his way out, Nikolaj Ehlers has won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes, and Winnipeg is trying to figure out what comes next. So here are three guesses for the Jets this season.

Prediction No. 1: The Jets Are Better Than Last Year.

The first guess is that Winnipeg simply can't be that bad again. Too many things went wrong last season. Adam Lowry wasn't himself after hip surgery. Dylan Samberg, Cole Perfetti and Neal Pionk were injured. Hellebuyck missed a month and struggled when he came back. And the Jets gave too many minutes to veterans who simply couldn't keep up.

Some of that will regress to the mean. Mario Ferraro and Elias Salomonsson should give Winnipeg's defence more mobility, and Stuart Skinner's career .902 save percentage gives Winnipeg a more experienced option in goal than it had last season when things went sideways.

Prediction No. 2: Better Doesn't Necessarily Mean Playoffs.

Here's the second guess: Winnipeg improves and still doesn't make the playoffs. That's the funny thing about the Western Conference. You can add 10 points to an 82-point season and still be sitting at home when the playoffs begin. The Jets could be healthier, younger and faster and still finish around 90 points. That might feel like a big improvement inside the room, but it doesn't necessarily get them into the postseason.

And that's where the Hellebuyck trade really matters. Winnipeg isn't just replacing a goalie. It's replacing one of the biggest reasons the team could paper over other problems.

Prediction No. 3: The Jets Discover They're in a Different Era.

The third prediction is the one I'm most curious about. Maybe this season isn't really about recreating the Jets of two or three years ago. Maybe Winnipeg discovers that it has to build something different. The old Jets leaned heavily on experience. Last season showed what happens when too much of that experience loses a step. Now the blue line is getting younger and more mobile, and the roster may have to start looking the same way.

That could make this a strange season in Winnipeg. The Jets might not be a contender. They might not even make the playoffs. But they could come out of it with a much clearer idea of what the next Winnipeg team should look like.

What's Next for the Jets?

My guess is that Winnipeg is better than it was last season, but I'm not convinced better automatically means playoff team. The fascinating part is figuring out whether 2025-26 was an aberration or a warning. If the Jets stay healthy and Stuart Skinner gives them decent goaltending, they should look much more like themselves. If the goaltending goes sideways again, though, this could get interesting fast.