The Winnipeg Jets weren’t as active at the NHL trade deadline as fans would’ve liked. The front office added a familiar face when they acquired Brandon Tanev from the Seattle Kraken and some veteran defensive depth in Luke Schenn. Kevin Cheveldayoff believes in the core, as they’ve made it to the top seed in the Western Conference and, at times, looked unbeatable.
Connor Hellebuyck has been the team’s MVP this season, which the organization has confidence in. Hellebuyck has a .924 save percentage and a 2.05 goals-against average with six shutouts. He is making a case for being the league’s MVP, but his postseason success has been spotty. It’s part of why Cheveldayoff putting his trust in this particular group is so concerning.
The organization might believe in the group they are putting on the ice. However, Jets fan households must have some uneasy feelings this spring. The Jets could prove everyone wrong, but the blame will fall on the front office if Winnipeg doesn’t get over the playoff hump again this postseason.
Jets didn’t do enough at NHL trade deadline
The Jets’ addition of Tanev and Schenn at the deadline does little to strengthen their roster, which hopes to contend for a Stanley Cup. Look at their division, as the Colorado Avalanche made some big moves to improve their depth and added a new goaltending tandem earlier in the year. The Stars also made a big splash by adding Mikko Rantanen.
Then, look around the league at teams in the Eastern Conference. The Florida Panthers added Brad Marchand and Seth Jones and will have Matthew Tkachuk and Aaron Ekblad returning to the lineup in the playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning added Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Almost every contending team made a big splash over the past couple of months to improve their team, and the Jets stayed relatively stagnant.
It’s admirable for the front office to trust the guys who brought them to the top seed in the West, but that decision could backfire once the postseason begins.
The Central Division is a gauntlet
The rest of the Central Division were partying in the streets when Rantanen went to the Eastern Conference earlier this season. They thought he’d sign a contract extension with the Carolina Hurricanes, and they’d only have to see him twice a year instead of 3-4 times and 4-7 times in the postseason. However, the Hurricanes ruined that dream by sending him to the Stars, where he signed an eight-year extension.
The Jets put themselves in a spot where they likely won’t relinquish the top spot, which is good news. The Avalanche and Stars will battle it out in the first round and then face the Jets in the second round if they advance past the eighth seed.
The Central will continue to be a battle. This season will be the start of it, and the Jets get to avoid a problematic first-round matchup, but that doesn’t mean they will avoid it for the next decade. The Avs and Stars are set up for long-term success, and the Jets have to capitalize on this season when they are the first seed.
The Avalanche defeated the Jets in five games in last year’s postseason. While Winnipeg hasn’t improved the team as much as fans would like, Colorado has improved from that series, including adding a legitimate starting goaltender in Mackenzie Blackwood.
The Stars advanced to the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons and now have Rantanen added to their developing young core. It isn’t going to be an easy postseason for the Jets.
Looming Connor Hellebuyck concerns
Maybe the Jets will prove the doubters wrong, and their depth is good enough after the trade deadline. Perhaps the Central Division will sort itself out with the Stars and Avalanche battling in the first round to leave nothing but scraps for the Jets in the second round. The looming question is, if all those things work out for the Jets, will their superstar starting goaltender in Hellebuyck have another poor postseason performance?
It’d be a disaster for the Jets if Hellebuyck had another playoff performance like last year. With plenty of hope, Winnipeg entered the first-round series against Alexandar Georgiev and the Avalanche. Georgiev was a below-average starting goaltender for Colorado, and Winnipeg thought they had a massive upper hand. However, the Avalanche won the series in five games, and Hellebuyck allowed 24 goals over the five games.
The Jets’ critical question is whether their goaltender can perform well in the playoffs. If not, the rest of these concerns could be irrelevant.
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