Winnipeg Jets Are Giving Fans a Reason to Believe Again

I have to admit something. I'm rooting for the Winnipeg Jets this season. There are a few reasons for that. One is that this team had a disappointing 2025-26 season and looked like it might be in for more trouble after Connor Hellebuyck's trade request. Another is that I have a real soft spot for Stuart Skinner. And, finally, I love the idea of two goaltenders most people weren't talking about carrying a team that suddenly has something to prove.

Through six games, the Jets are 4-1-1 and sitting second in the Central Division. That's a pretty good answer to a season that looked as though it might go sideways before it even got started. So what's going on in Winnipeg?

The Jets Have Something to Prove.

Andrew Paterson recently made an interesting point on Daily Faceoff Live. He believes the Jets' top players feel written off, and they're using that as motivation. I can see it. Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti have given Winnipeg a dangerous top line. In their 5-2 win over Minnesota, all three contributed to the offence, with Perfetti scoring twice.

That matters because one of Winnipeg's knocks has been its lack of secondary scoring. Six games don't erase that concern, but the early results suggest the Jets aren't waiting around for someone else to believe in them. There's a difference between saying a team has something to prove and actually going out and proving it. Winnipeg has made a decent start.

Two Jets’ Goalies Nobody Was Talking About?

Here's the part I really like. Hellebuyck is a Hart Trophy winner and one of the NHL's elite goaltenders. Nobody should suggest otherwise. Losing a player like that, particularly under these circumstances, is a serious problem. But Stuart Skinner has stepped in, and Clay Stevenson has been part of the goaltending picture, too. Suddenly, the Jets have a story that goes beyond their superstar’s absence.

As I noted, I'm a big Skinner fan. He's had his ups and downs, as most goaltenders do, but I like the opportunity in front of him. From my perspective, he’s a class act. Sometimes a change of scenery gives a player a chance to show what he can do under different circumstances.

And there's something appealing about the idea that Winnipeg might get where it wants to go without the big name between the pipes. Of course, six games aren't enough to declare that the experiment will work. Goaltending can change a team's fortunes quickly, in either direction. Skinner and Stevenson will need support from the players in front of them, and Winnipeg will need to keep scoring. Still, there's a story developing here.

What Happens When the Doubts Start About the Jets?

That's what I'm watching. The Jets have started well, but the real test will come when the top line cools off, a couple of pucks find their way into the net, or the schedule gets difficult. Will the team keep playing with that chip on its shoulder? Can it find enough offence beyond Connor, Scheifele and Perfetti? And can Skinner and Stevenson give Winnipeg the kind of goaltending it needs over a full season?

I don't know the answers yet. I suspect nobody knows just yet. But after a difficult season and the uncertainty surrounding Hellebuyck, Winnipeg has given its fans something they might not have expected: a reason to be optimistic. I'm pulling for them. There's something satisfying about watching a team people doubt find its own way forward.

And if two goaltenders who weren't supposed to be the story end up becoming a big part of it, well, that would be a pretty good hockey story indeed.