Central Division Preview: 3 burning questions for the Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets led the National Hockey League with 116 points last season, winning the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history. However, they barely survived a seven-game series with the St. Louis Blues in the first round before the Dallas Stars dispatched them in six games. Connor Hellebuyck won the Hart and Vezina trophies for his incredible regular season, but once again choked it away in the playoffs. Nikolaj Ehlers left via free agency, and our old friend Jonathan Toews is making a comeback with his hometown team. Will they have enough to be an elite team again this year?

Winnipeg Jets Vitals

2024-25-Record: 56-22-4, 116 points (1st in Central Division, lost in Second Round to Dallas)
Goal Leader: Kyle Connor (41)
Assist Leader: Kyle Connor (56)
Point Leaders: Kyle Connor (97)

Additions

Jonathan Toews, C
Gustav Nyquist, RW
Tanner Pearson, LW
Cole Koepke, LW

Departures

Nikolaj Ehlers, LW (CAR)
Mason Appleton, RW (DET)
Brandon Tanev, LW (UTA)
Rasmus Kupari, C (NL)

I reached out to one our NHL writers Nestor Quixtan to ask him three burning questions about the 2025-26 Jets.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored 49 goals and 124 points over the last two seasons. How will the Jets replace that production?

The Jets face a similar situation to the one the Toronto Maple Leafs are going through with the loss of Mitch Marner.

The Jets, unfortunately, do not have one player they can expect to replace Ehlers. The roughly 50 goals and 120+ points over two seasons are not something that can be easily found in the free agent market or internally.

That being said, the Jets didn't make any major additions in hopes of replacing Ehlers. Instead, the club will be looking to get others to pick up the slack. The first name that comes to mind is Gabriel Vilardi. He's coming off a 27-goal, 1-point season. So, he'll be first in line to make up some of Ehlers' production.

Also, free-agent signing Gustav Nyquist will hopefully make up some of that lost production as well. A 20-goal season from Nyquist would be a welcome boost. Other than that, incumbents Mark Scheifele and especially Kyle Connor will need to continue producing for the Jets.

Overall, the Jets' offensive production should be fine. There's enough talent that Ehlers' loss won't derail the Jets' season even if there is some regression.

How does Jonathan Toews fit in, and what are the realistic expectations for him this season?

In short, the Jets are hoping that Toews will have a resurgence much like his former teammate Patrick Kane had in Detroit. The Red Wings brought in Kane as a veteran role player, not a savior.

That's the same role the Jets expect for Toews. It would be unreasonable to imagine him stepping into a top-six role right off the bat. If anything, a 40-point season from Toews would be an amazing outcome. In fact, just getting a full season out of him will suffice at this point.

There's really no telling how much Toews has left in the tank at this point. If his health concerns are behind him, he could return to a highly productive role like Kane, who eventually made his way into the Red Wings' top six. So, that could be a long-term projection for Toews.

But like Schroedinger's cat, Toews is a success and a failure at this point. Fans won't know just how good Toews will be until he hits the ice. Expectations will be tapered, but there's hope a season with his hometown team can turn things around.

Can Connor Hellebuyck ever be trusted in the playoffs?

Hellebuyck has proven to be money in the bank during the regular season. However, it's been the postseason that has led to questions about his overall effectiveness. 

In his defense, the Jets didn't play overly well in their first-round series against the Blues this past spring. They tried to coast after building an early series lead and nearly paid the price.

Hellebuyck rebounded in the second round, but couldn't carry the Jets past a dominant Stars team. Be that as it may, the verdict on Hellebuyck is that he's unreliable in the playoffs until he proves otherwise.

But the Jets don't really have much of a choice. There are no other goalies out there who can match Hellebuyck's talent. It will be up to him to lead his team in the postseason. If the Jets fail to do so again this postseason, serious questions may emerge regarding his viability as a true number-one goalie.

Perhaps changes could be coming in the 2026 offseason. But that's getting too far ahead. Another Vezina Trophy season from Hellebuyck should keep the villagers at bay. But it won't be until the postseason that the pitchforks and torches will come out lest the Jets make a serious playoff run.