Jets Nation - News, Roster, Scores, Schedule

Jets fall to 1-2 in the pre-season after a 2-1 overtime loss against the Oilers

Connor Baldwin — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 02:50:37 GMT

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The Winnipeg Jets are now exactly ten days away from opening their 2026-27 NHL regular season at home against the Boston Bruins. The Jets are also Dustin Byfuglien (33) days away from hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic. Tickets for all Jets games throughout the 2026-27 season are on sale now. The long days of the NHL off-season are finally over, as we’re now entering day four of pre-season games.

Tonight at Canada Life the Jets played their third of four pre-season games (and final home game) in preparation for the 2026-27 NHL season. The Oilers and Jets are one of tens games on the NHL pre-season schedule tonight, as this new shortened training camp rolls on before the new 84 game regular season game schedule. Before looking at what happened in tonight’s game, let’s recap what happened in the Jets first two pre-season games on Saturday and Monday.

The Jets opened up their pre-season Saturday, the first day of pre-season games around the league. A young group of mostly prospects and inexperienced NHLers travelled to Edmonton to battle an Oilers team that included Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard. Thomas Milic got the start in goal for the Jets, and he made 23 saves on 27 shots. Parker Ford and Jacob Julien were the goal scorers for the Jets, while Evan Bouchard led the Oilers with 4 assists. Tristan Jarry and Matt Tomkins split the game in net for the Oilers, and while the Jets held their own for parts of the game, the experienced Oilers roster was too much to handle for the young Jets, who lost 5-2 after a late empty net goal.

Last night, the Jets iced an experienced NHL roster against a fairly decent Colorado Avalanche roster at Canada Life Centre. Stuart Skinner made his Jets debut, playing the full 60 minutes, while making an impressive 31 saves on 32 shots. Gabriel Vilardi, Cole Perfetti, and Dylan DeMelo were the Jets goal scorers, and it was an overall positive team performance in front of the Jets fans. Georgii Merjulov scored the lone goal for the Avalanche, and the net was shared by Scott Wedgewood and prospect Ilya Nabokov.

Tonight the Jets were once again at Canada Life Centre, this time taking on an Oilers team with a mostly inexperienced roster. The Jets had a balanced roster with some NHL veterans and some prospects who either haven’t appeared in a pre-season game yet or played in the first game on the road against the Oilers. Domenic DiVincentiis got the start in goal, and Alex Iafallo got the Jets first goal as the two teams were tied at one after two periods. Atro Leppanen got the Oilers goal, and projected 3rd string goalie Devon Levi got the start in goal.

Connor Ungar went in net for the Oilers in the 3rd period, while DiVincentiis stayed in net for the Jets. Isaac Poulter was the Jets backup tonight, who will likely be the backup goalie for the Manitoba Moose to start the season. Both teams continued to trade chances in this tightly contested pre-season game, and the score remained 1-1 from late in the 1st period to the end of regulation.

In overtime, Viljami Marjala won the game for the Oilers with 3:24 left in the extra frame from a 2 on 1 set up by Zach Hyman. Final shots on goal were 23-18 for the Oilers, who skated away with a 2nd straight win against the Jets. Like every other pre-season game, there’s always some positives to take away from certain individuals who are fighting to make the Jets opening night roster. Tonight, one of those players was Brayden Yager, who was held off the scoresheet, but was a +1 with 19 minutes of ice time, 3 shots on goal, and 1 blocked shot.

Up Next

The 2026-27 NHL pre-season continues on with the regular season starting in exactly one week. All 32 teams are getting closer to announcing their opening night rosters for the 2026-27 season. Stay tuned here on Daily Faceoff Winnipeg for the latest news on the Jets training camp, as well as a preview of the Jets final pre-season game on Friday against the Avalanche.

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Saturday night hockey for the first of four Jets pre-season games: Winnipeg Jets vs. Edmonton Oilers game day

Connor Baldwin — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 20:00:28 GMT

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The Winnipeg Jets are now exactly two weeks away from opening their 2026-27 NHL regular season at home against the Boston Bruins. The Jets are also Morgan Barron (36) days away from hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic. Tickets for all Jets games throughout the 2026-27 season are on sale now. The long days of the NHL off-season are finally over, as we’re now entering day one of pre-season games.

Tonight at Rogers Place the Jets will play their first of four pre-season games to prepare for the 2026-27 NHL season. The Jets and Oilers are one of seven games on the NHL pre-season schedule tonight, as this new shortened training camp begins before the new 84 game regular season game schedule.

The Jets will battle against a team that has been a familiar opponent for them in past pre-seasons, the Edmonton Oilers. The Western Conference championship went to the Vegas Golden Knights last season, but the Oilers were the champs the previous two seasons, and they’ll be eager to get back to this level of play this season.

The injury report for the Winnipeg Jets (including players who likely won’t make the team) has three names: Walker Duehr, Garrett Brown, and Elias Salomonsson, who is targeting his return in late October. The Oilers have two players with undisclosed injuries: Alec Regula and Mattias Janmark. Both players will continue to skate with the Oilers during training camp, but they won’t play in any of their four pre-season games.

Jets Projected Lineup

Rosén – Björk – Lambert

He – Yager – Ford

Chibrikov – Zhilkin – Gregor

Barlow – Julien – Wahlin

Fleury – St. Ivany

Thrun – Bauer

Phillips – Gustafsson

Milic

Poulter

The confirmed starting goalie for the Jets is Thomas Milic, who will be battling for the Jets back up spot depending on how the Connor Hellebuyck situation unfolds. The Jets lineup is primarily young players or prospects for this first pre-season game, which is the approach most teams take to give players a chance to get some ice time before being sent back down to their junior or pro teams. The top forward line will be especially exciting to keep an eye on, as the newly acquired Isak Rosén will be on a line with top prospects Viggo Björk and Brad Lambert.

Oilers Projected Lineup

Draisaitl – McDavid – Podkolzin

Formenton – Dach – Joseph

Jones – Samanski – Howard

Nicholl – Michaels – Griffith

Shea – Bouchard

Stastney – Emberson

Still – Brown

Jarry

Tomkins

The Oilers lineup is much more experienced than the Jets, featuring a stacked first line with two star players. Drasaitl and McDavid will probably get less ice time than usual for this game, but they’re used to playing in a few of the earlier pre-season games in past seasons. The 2nd line features two newly signed players (Formenton and Joseph) and a recently acquired centre in Colton Dach, a young player who is expected to play his first full NHL season in the 2026-27 season in the Oilers bottom six. Tristan Jarry is the Oilers expected starting goalie, the only returning Oilers goalie from last season. Frederik Andersen is the projected starter when he recovers from a knee injury, and Devon Levi has good upside, but Jarry (acquired last season) will be ramping up his game as the likely starter for the Oilers regular season opening night.

Jets player to watch: Brad Lambert

Tonight the player to watch from each team will be a talented young forward that will be featured on their team’s first lines for this pre-season game. Brad Lambert is preparing for what should be his first full NHL season. The 22-year old from Finland got his first “extended” look on the Jets last season, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points in 25 games. Lambert’s role last season was quite limited in a bottom six more “shutdown” type of approach, but this season there’s opportunity for Lambert to earn his way into the top six, and that all begins with him showing what he can do in these pre-season games.

Oilers player to watch: Vasili Podkolzin

After being acquired by the Oilers ahead of the 2024-25 season, Vasili Podkolzin had his true breakout season in the 2025-26 season. The 25-year old played his second straight 82 game season with the Oilers, scoring an impressive 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points. Podkolzin has always had top six potential, and his play style as a hardworking and physical power forward allows him to get opportunities as a winger alongside either Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid. Podkolzin could push for 20 goals this season, and he’s an exciting young player that fans around the league should continue to watch develop.

Puck drop in Edmonton, Alberta is set for just after 7:00 pm CT. Tonight’s game will be a fun first look at a younger Jets roster that will be ready to skate into action against a much more experienced Oilers lineup. It’s a bit of a different feel having four pre-season games instead of six, as each and every game will be a more sizeable step towards announcing the 2026-27 opening night roster.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season is pretty much over, with pre-season games starting tonight. All 32 teams are now back on the ice getting ready for the 2026-27 season. Stay tuned here on Daily Faceoff Winnipeg for the latest news on the Jets training camp, as well as a recap for the Jets first pre-season game tonight and a look ahead at their remaining three pre-season games.

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Jets announce that Connor Hellebuyck is suspended for not reporting to training camp

Connor Baldwin — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 01:30:14 GMT

Follow us on our Daily Faceoff Winnipeg socials! X/Twitter: @dfo_winnipeg and on Instagram: @dfowinnipeg

The Winnipeg Jets are now around two weeks away from opening their 2026-27 NHL season at home against the Boston Bruins. The Jets are also a bit over a month away from hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, with tickets for all games of the 2026-27 season on sale now. The long days of the NHL off-season are almost over, as we’re now just three days away from pre-season games.

With training camp beginning officially tomorrow, the Jets provided an update regarding Connor Hellebuyck. After months of speculation over the summer, the Winnipeg Jets star goalie publicly confirmed his trade request on August 27th. Since the announcement, the Jets have been firm on not “rushing” to fulfill Hellebuyck’s trade request, and reports have suggested that the offers the Jets have received for Hellebuyck haven’t been what they’re looking for in terms of a good return.

Jets fans began to wonder whether or not Hellebuyck would report to training camp or not, as he’s still under contract with the Jets until the end of the 2030-31 season. Unfortunately, the latest update on the Hellebuyck trade saga wasn’t a positive one. It’s something that was always a possibility, but regardless it’s something you don’t see all to often nowadays in the NHL.

The Winnipeg Jets announced today they have suspended goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for failure to report to training camp.

General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will address the media at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 17th, at hockey for all centre.

— Winnipeg Jets PR (@WpgJetsPR) September 17, 2026

The Jets have announced that Connor Hellebuyck is suspended for not reporting to training camp. Hellebuyck will not receive pay during this time, and he’s confirmed to the Jets that he won’t be in attendance after not meeting this afternoon’s deadline. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will talk to the media tomorrow morning (at 10:30 am CT) at the Hockey for All Centre. Cheveldayoff will explain (in further detail) what this announcement means, and he should provide an update for what happens next with Hellebuyck’s current trade request.

Tomorrow’s start of training camp will have a bit of a different feel to it with this media availability, but it shouldn’t take away from the excitement of a new hockey season. The Jets will be split into two groups for practice tomorrow, with “Team A” hitting the ice at 10 am, followed by “Team B” getting their turn on the ice at 1 pm. Stay tuned for further updates on this announcement tomorrow when training camp begins.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season is almost over, with pre-season games starting on September 19th. All 32 teams are now back on the ice getting ready for the 2026-27 season. Stay tuned here on Daily Faceoff Winnipeg for the latest news on the Jets training camp, as well as a preview and recap for the Jets first pre-season game on September 19th against the Edmonton Oilers.

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2026 Prospect Challenge in Quebec concludes as the Jets leave with a 1-1 record

Connor Baldwin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:55:54 GMT

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The Winnipeg Jets are now less than three weeks away from opening their 2026-27 NHL season at home against the Boston Bruins. The Jets are also a bit over a month away from hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, with tickets for all games of the 2026-27 season on sale now. The long days of the NHL off-season are almost over, as we’re now six days away from pre-season games.

With the conclusion of the “goals and expectations” series last week, it’s time we turn to more Jets prospects news as we prepare for the NHL pre-season. Before the main club hits the ice on September 19th against the Oilers, Jets prospects played two games this weekend at the 2026 Prospect Challenge in Quebec. Saturday afternoon saw the Jets get a win against the Canadiens prospects, while Sunday the Jets were defeated in a close game against the Maple Leafs prospects.

Saturday’s first game featured the Jets and Canadiens, and it was the first time Jets fans got to see their 2026 1st round pick Viggo Bjork in a Jets jersey. Viggo Bjork played on a line with another top Jets prospect Brayden Yager. Bjork opened the scoring with a nice wraparound goal after a pass on a rush from Yager. Bjork finished the game with 2 points after picking up an assist on the Jets 3rd goal, and this weekend Bjork showed that he’s a player that’s ready to compete for a spot in the NHL this season.

Jets 2026 3rd round pick Samuel Hrenak got the start in net on Saturday. Hrenak had a quiet 1st period but was busy in the 2nd period before allowing his only goal late in the 3rd period. Hrenak finished the game with 22 saves, and he even tried to go for a goalie goal at the end of the game but just missed the empty net. The top power-play unit looked impressive for the Jets in this game, featuring a trio of Bjork, Yager and another former Jets 1st round pick Colby Barlow. Final score – Jets: 3, Canadiens: 1

This afternoon’s (Sunday) game saw the Jets score three times on the power play in a tightly contested battle with the Maple Leafs prospects. Head coach Mark Morrison was impressed by the Jets special teams this game, and the Jets also got a shorthanded goal for their other goal in this game. It’s understandable to lack chemisty (especially on special teams) in a short tournament like this prospect challenge, but the Jets prospects seemed to gain chemisty right away from game one, and the practice where they worked on the power play seemed to pay off.

Jacob Julien scored one of the Jets goals in the 1st period with a nice deflection in front of the net. The 22-year old was praised by coach Morrison for his hand-eye skills on the goal, and noted that he played well both games. Julien experienced his first pro hockey season in 2025-26 with the Moose, and he’ll look to take his next step towards becoming an NHL player this season again with the Moose.

Another prospect that stood out to Jets fans this weekend was Davis Burnside. Although Burnside wasn’t drafted by the Jets, the 22-year old ended his college career last season with Ohio State. Burnside is looking to earn a full-time spot with the Moose this season, and he showed good chemistry with Bjork, who was on his line for both games. The best highlight of the Jets game on Sunday was a nifty between the legs pass from Bjork which set up Burnside for a late period tally in the 2nd period to make it 3-2 Maple Leafs.

The Jets couldn’t go undefeated in this mini-tournament like they did last year, but they didn’t give up without a fight in Sunday’s game. The Jets were losing 5-2 late in the game, but two power play goals made it 5-4 late in the game before the Maple Leafs won it with an empty net goal. Final score – Jets: 4, Maple Leafs: 6.

These two games for this group of prospects will prepare them for their upcoming training camps. A select few (such as Bjork and Yager) will be included in the Jets main camp, while most of the prospects will be fighting for roster spots at the Manitoba Moose’s camp. A few of the most recent draft picks will return back to their junior teams after today, but these two games still give them a great first experience with the organization as they continue to work towards making the team in the future.

With most of the various prospect tournaments around the league ending today, now teams will start preparing for training camps ahead of the NHL pre-season. It’s a shorter pre-season this time around (4 games for almost every team instead of 6) because of the new 84 game regular season, meaning every game will be that much more important for those players that are battling for a roster spot. The Jets open their pre-season in six days in Edmonton against the Oilers with a 7 pm CT puck drop.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season is almost done, with pre-season games starting in less than one week. All 32 teams are now back on the ice getting ready for the 2026-27 season. Stay tuned here on Daily Faceoff Winnipeg for the latest news on the Jets upcoming training camp, as well as a pair of articles leading up to the Jets first pre-season game on September 19th.

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Jets prospects hit the ice ahead of the 2026 Prospect Challenge in Quebec this weekend

Connor Baldwin — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 20:45:02 GMT

Follow us on our Daily Faceoff Winnipeg socials! X/Twitter: @dfo_winnipeg and on Instagram: @dfowinnipeg

The Winnipeg Jets are now exactly three weeks away from opening their 2026-27 NHL season at home against the Boston Bruins. The Jets are also just 44 days away from hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, with tickets for all games of the 2026-27 season on sale now. The long days of the NHL off-season are almost over, as we’re now eight days away from pre-season games.

With the conclusion of the “goals and expectations” series last week, it’s time we turn to Jets news as we prepare for the NHL pre-season. Before the main club hits the ice on September 19th against the Oilers, Jets prospects are preparing for the upcoming 2026 Prospect Challenge. This Friday morning at the Hockey For All Centre there was two groups of Jets veterans on the ice for informal skates before the prospects.

Adam Lowry joined the main group after skating on his own earlier in the week, and Nino Niederreiter made his first appearance at these informal skates. There were a total of fifteen skaters on the ice, and some notable names that weren’t skating were Gabriel Vilardi, Morgan Barron, Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov. Connor Hellebuyck remained absent, but the team remains optimistic that he’ll join them for training camp despite his ongoing trade request.

Elias Salomonsson was skating on his own, as he gets closer to returning from his off-season shoulder surgery. There was one other group of skaters that hit the ice before the prospects which included many of the Jets depth players, including Haydn Fleury, Parker Ford, and Jack St. Ivany.

Earlier this week the Jets announced their roster for this weekend’s 2026 Prospect Challenge in Quebec, and they were all on the ice today except for 2025 3rd round pick Owen Martin, who is currently dealing with an ankle injury. The skaters got to focus some of their time on the ice with some powerplay practice, and the top unit included 2026 8th overall pick Viggo Bjork.

Among the 14 forwards, 7 defencemen, and 2 goals on this prospects roster, Viggo Bjork will be the one with the most eyes on him for the two weekend games. At this mini-tournament, Bjork will be the second most highly touted prospect on the ice behind Maple Leafs 1st overall pick Gavin McKenna. The Jets top forward pairing was a trio of prospects that Jets fans should be familiar with by now, namely Kieron Walton, Brayden Yager, and Colby Barlow. The “top” defence pairing was Lukas Gustafsson and Garrett Brown, and the starting goalie for the first game might be 2026 3rd round pick Samuel Hrenak.

We’ll need to wait until tomorrow for the official projected lineups, but overall this group of prospects looks better (and well rounded) than recent seasons. The four teams (Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators) will each play two games at Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Quebec this weekend. The full Jets 2026 prospect challenge can be found here. Below is the full 2026 Prospect Challenge schedule, with times listed in CT.

Game 1

Montreal vs. Winnipeg – Sat, Sept. 12 – 12:00 pm

Game 2

Toronto vs. Ottawa – Sat, Sept. 12 – 5:00 pm

Game 3

Winnipeg vs. Toronto – Sun, Sept. 13 – 12:00 pm

Game 4

Montreal vs. Ottawa – Sun, Sept. 13 – 5:00 pm

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season is almost done, with pre-season games starting in one week. All 32 teams are now back on the ice getting ready for the 2026-27 season. Stay tuned here on Daily Faceoff Winnipeg for the latest news on the Jets, as well as a variety of different articles leading up to the Jets first pre-season game on September 19th.

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Goals and expectations for the rest of the 2026-27 Winnipeg Jets roster

Connor Baldwin — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:40:27 GMT

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The Winnipeg Jets are now 25 days away from opening their 2026-27 NHL season at home against the Boston Bruins. The Jets are also just 48 days away from hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, with tickets for all games of the 2026-27 season on sale now. The long days of the NHL off-season are almost over, as we’re now in less than two weeks away from pre-season games.

Tonight marks the end of a series that I’ve covered over the past two (now three) off-seasons known as the “goals and expectations” series. This series quickly previewed what to expect (and what to hope for) from Jets players in the 2026-27 season. After focusing on a handful of players on the Jets roster (including some new ones), I’ve decided to end this series by looking at the rest of the roster (in quick fashion), as well as overall team expectations (and predictions) for the upcoming season.

There’s no “best way” to go through the rest of the roster, so I’ll just go by the Jets projected lines, starting with the first line. I covered what to expect from Kyle Connor, but I didn’t talk about Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi. When talking about Kyle Connor I made sure to mention his talented linemates, who will equally be responsible for producing on the Jets top line. Scheifele is coming off a Jets 2.0 record setting 103 point season, and I’d expect him to be close to that again this season. Vilardi continues to improve each and every season, and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to reach 75 points this season if he stays on the top line throughout the 84 games.

The 2nd line isn’t locked in yet, as it could possibly include the 2026 8th overall pick Viggo Bjork. The Jets may give Bjork a maximum of 9 games (to not use a year of his entry level contract), or if all goes right he could be a key contributor on the Jets throughout the year. Cole Perfetti is poised for a big season after his signing his new contract, and the third member of the 2nd line is unknown, but it could be the young Brad Lambert, who should get at least 35 points in his first full NHL season.

Moving down to the 3rd line, which could include a pair of veteran players looking for bounce back seasons. Alex Iafallo could be the top producer on this line, while Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov will look to each have at least 30 points this season as depth scoring options. The 4th line will include Cole Koepke and Morgan Barron, both of which will look to improve on their own play styles while also being secondary scoring options.

As for the blue line, the Jets will go into the season with the same top four as last season. Josh Morrissey continues to be an important member of the top powerplay unit, while DeMelo will be expected to play his defensive defenceman style to help Morrissey succeed. Samberg and Pionk will be the duo looking for bounce back seasons on the blue line, which could go a long way to lowering the Jets goals allowed per game. The new 3rd pairing will include Mario Ferraro and one or two depth defenceman on the ride side before Elias Salomonsson returns, a defenceman looking to take another step in his first full NHL season.

As for the goaltending situation, I covered a bit about what to expect in my latest article talking about Stuart Skinner. The upcoming (hopefully before the season begins) Hellebuyck trade could see the Jets acquire a new goalie to split the starts with Skinner, or the Jets will give a goalie already in their organization (like Thomas Milic) a chance to be the new full time backup goalie.

Putting all these pieces together, I’d expect the Jets to finish the new 84 game regular season with a 39-38-7 record for 85 points. I’d like to be optimistic and hope that the Jets could get over 90 points this season, but with the uncertainty of how the Hellebuyck trade will play out it’s hard to give them a better record. If all goes well, the Jets could find themselves back in the playoffs in a wildcard spot, but if things go similar to last season, it could be a long and busy off-season for the Jets in the summer of 2027. Whatever happens, I’ll be cheering on the Jets throughout the season, and fans have a variety of reasons to be excited for the new hockey season.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season is almost done, with pre-season games starting in less than two weeks. Teams are now back on the ice getting ready for the season, so hockey is almost back. Stay tuned here on Daily Faceoff Winnipeg for the latest news on the Jets, as well as a variety of different articles leading up to the Jets first pre-season game on September 19th.

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Goals and expectations for the very likely new starting goalie Stuart Skinner

Connor Baldwin — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:33:42 GMT

Follow us on our Daily Faceoff Winnipeg socials! X/Twitter: @dfo_winnipeg and on Instagram: @dfowinnipeg

The Winnipeg Jets are now 28 days away from opening their 2026-27 NHL season at home against the Boston Bruins. The Jets are also just 51 days away from hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, with tickets for all games of the 2026-27 season on sale now. The long days of the NHL off-season are almost over, as we’re now in a month where there will be pre-season games played.

Today marks yet another continuation of a series that I’ve covered the past two off-seasons known as the “goals and expectations” series. This series quickly previews what to expect (and what to hope for) from Jets players in the 2026-27 season. This could be the last player that’s highlighted, but their will be a “finale” to this season that briefly talks about the players that weren’t mentioned so far.

It feels timely with the Connor Hellebuyck trade request news that we talk about the Jets very likely starting goalie for the 2026-27 season: Stuart Skinner. I say “very likely” because there’s always the possibility that the Hellebuyck trade includes a goalie being sent to Winnipeg, whether that be another fringe starting goalie or a younger goalie who’s ready to split the crease with Skinner.

After a below average start with the Oilers last season, Skinner was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Tristan Jarry trade. Skinner was drafted by the Oilers in the 3rd round of the 2017 NHL Draft, and although it seems like he’s been in the league for a while now, he’s only been in the NHL for around five years. After his draft year, Skinner worked his way up from the ECHL to the AHL, before finally getting his chance as a starting goalie with the Oilers in the 2022-23 season.

Skinner’s best season in his fairly young career came back in the 2023-24 season. The Oilers were a fantastic team that season, but Skinner’s play definitely contributed to their success. In 59 appearances Skinner posted a 36-16-5 record with a 2.62 GAA and a 0.905 SV%. After back to back Stanley Cup Finals appearances with the Oilers, Skinner’s play “fell off” last season, and the Oilers struggled in the early parts of the season. Skinner had some positive moments after his move to the Penguins, but a disappointing three playoff starts Skinner became a free agent after the Penguins were eliminated.

The 27-year old goaltender will be entering the 1st year of his new two year contract at a cap hit of $3.75 million. Skinner’s deal was one of the “main moves” the Jets made on July 1st, and at the time (even without Hellebuyck’s trade request confirmed) it seemed like Skinner would be a very solid upgrade to their backup goalie position. Now with Hellebuyck confirmed to be on the move sometime soon, Skinner is getting ready to take on the role of the Jets number one goalie. Unless the Jets acquire a better goalie than Skinner in the Hellebuyck trade, it’ll be up to Skinner to get in the crease and help the Jets get some wins in the 2026-27 season.

So what should be the goals and expectations for Stuart Skinner next season? The Jets struggled on the defensive side last season, which led to down years from both Hellebuyck and Eric Comrie. Skinner needs a good defensive group behind him to have success, so the addition of Mario Ferraro and a fully healthy blue line need to do what they can to help Skinner be the goalie he once was with the Oilers not long ago. I’d expect the Jets to give Thomas Milic a fair shot at the backup role (if no goalie is acquired in the Hellebuyck trade), so Skinner should be able to get between 20 and 25 wins this season. As for goals against average and save percentage, those can be tough to predict, but I’d say Skinner should have a goals against average around 2.80 and a save percentage around 0.890%.

I’ve mentioned it before, but the Jets need to do whatever they can do help Skinner be in a position to succeed. The big asterisk is of course what comes back from the Hellebuyck trade, as there’s the potential for a young or even veteran goalie to join the net and split starts with Skinner throughout the season. As it stands, Skinner will be the go-to goalie, with Milic projected to be the backup goalie. Jets fans might be a little anxious to see how Skinner performs with this pressure, but there’s hope that Skinner can turn his game back around with the second Canadian team of his NHL career.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season is quickly wrapping up, with pre-season games starting in about two weeks. Teams are start to hit the ice for training camps, so hockey season is almost back. Stay tuned one more “goals and expectations” article coming up soon, as I’ll look at what to expect from the rest of the 2026-27 Jets players throughout the lineup. Let us know on our Daily Faceoff Winnipeg socials what you thought about this series!

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Goals and expectations for the Jets elite goal scorer Mr. KFC aka Kyle Connor

Connor Baldwin — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 04:15:29 GMT

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The Winnipeg Jets are now 31 days away from opening their 2026-27 NHL season at home against the Boston Bruins. The Jets are also 55 days away from hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, with tickets for the Alumni game on October 24th on sale now. The long days of the NHL off-season are almost over, as tomorrow the calendar turns to September, a month with pre-season hockey.

Today marks yet another continuation of a series that I’ve covered the past two off-seasons known as the “goals and expectations” series. This series quickly previews what to expect (and what to hope for) from Jets players in the 2026-27 season. Tonight’s player is someone who we all know as the Jets elite goal scorer and the guy who got a KFC meal named after him in 2026: Kyle Connor.

Connor is yet another example of a handful of Jets players who has been with the organization since being drafted by them back in 2015. After a fantastic season with the University of Michigan, Connor made his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season, where he scored 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points in 20 games. Connor spent most of the 20216-17 season in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose, but after just a few games with the Moose in the 2017-18 season Connor was a full time NHLer. Connor scored 31 goals in his first full NHL season, and the Jets knew they had themselves an elite goal scorer on the rise in their organization.

Connor’s “breakout” season happened back in the 2021-22 season, where he appeared in 79 games, scoring a still career high 47 goals and 46 assists for 93 points. Connor then set a record for points (97) in a season by a Jets 2.0 player in the 2024-25 season, before Scheifele broke that record last season with 103 points. Aside from the goals and points, Connor’s skating skills have really grown over his career, becoming a threat to break away from his defenders. Like many other top offensive producers, Connor reads the ice real well. A big “bonus point” about Connor’s game is that he plays with a high level of sportsmanship, not taking many penalties at all, highlighted by his Lady Byng Memorial Trophy win in 2022 where he only had 4 penalty minutes in 79 games.

The 29-year old top line left winger will be entering the 1st year of his new eight year contract at a cap hit of $12 million. Connor’s upcoming (at the time) contract extension was a big talking point heading into the 2025-26 season, and the Jets were able to secure a new deal on October 8th, 2025 before the season began. Connor won’t be an unrestricted free agent until after the 2033-34 season, and although Jets fans just saw Hellebuyck request a trade with plenty of years left on his deal, Jets fans shouldn’t have to worry one bit about Connor wanting to go anywhere else other than his home in Winnipeg. Connor’s cap hit is pretty reasonable given his scoring consistency, and with the increasing cap and recent record breaking deals, Connor just needs to keep doing what he’s been doing to make his contract look good.

So what should be the goals and expectations for Kyle Connor next season? The Jets struggled as a team to find depth scoring, but the Jets 1st line (with Kyle Connor on it) continued to carry the offence. Connor scored 39 goals with a shooting percentage of 14.2%, only slightly below his career average of around 14.7%. I believe Connor can hit the 40 goal mark for the 3rd time in his career in the 2026-27 season, and playing with Scheifele and Vilardi will make it fairly easy for him to get around 50 assists. Perhaps it’s Connor’s turn to hit 100 points in a season following Scheifele’s record breaking 2025-26 season, but I think Connor will once again fall in the 90-95 point range.

I’ve mentioned before that when Connor has success, so do the Winnipeg Jets. While Scheifele is generally seen more as the “playmaker” on the top line, Connor is the Jets number one pure scorer, and he’s always there when the team needs a big goal. The Jets powerplay wasn’t as effective as it was in the 2024-25 season, but with some tweaks it has the potential to be among the best again with Connor ready to strike wherever he is on the ice. Connor is going to continue to climb the Jets 2.0 all-time leaderboards this season, including likely milestones of 750 games played, 350 goals, 400 assists and 750 points. Jets fans should be ready for another A+ season from one of the top left wingers in the NHL.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season is quickly wrapping up as we hit September tomorrow, and teams will start hitting the ice for training camps beginning this week or next week. Stay tuned for more “goals and expectations” articles throughout the early half of September, as I’ll look at what to expect from 2026-27 Jets players throughout the lineup. Let us know on our Daily Faceoff Winnipeg socials if there’s a certain player you’d like us to cover next!

PRESENTED BY PRAIRIE TOYOTA DEALERS

Which teams make the most sense for the Jets in a Connor Hellebuyck trade?

Connor Baldwin — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:35:00 GMT

Follow us on our Daily Faceoff Winnipeg socials! X/Twitter: @dfo_winnipeg and on Instagram: @dfowinnipeg

The Winnipeg Jets are now 35 days away from opening their 2026-27 NHL season at home against the Boston Bruins. The Jets are also 58 days away from hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, with tickets for that game and the rest of the regular season on sale now. The long days of the NHL off-season are almost over, as we are about to enter the month of September with NHL pre-season hockey.

Tonight we take a quick break from the “goals and expectations” series, as the biggest news of the Jets off-season happened yesterday afternoon. After months of speculation and trade rumours, Connor Hellebuyck publicly confirmed that he has requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets. With training camp approaching, Hellebuyck felt that he should make his position public after privately requesting a trade several months ago.

The Jets are now faced with one of the biggest decisions they’ve ever needed to make in their 2.0 history. After Hellebuyck’s statement was released, the Jets responded by promising that “we will continue to work through the situation”, despite their not being an update at this time. Hellebuyck agreed to a long term extension with the Winnipeg Jets back in 2023, and now he still has five years left on his deal at a cap hit of $8.5 million. The 33-year old three-time Vezina Trophy winner will now be headed to a new team for the first time in his career, so which teams make the most sense for him to waive his no trade clause for a deal?

One team that reportedly tried to make a strong offer for Hellebuyck at the 2025 NHL trade deadline was the Buffalo Sabres. After returning to the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season, the Sabres were determined to add a new starting goalie before the playoffs. Although the proposed rejected trade offer is not confirmed, it reportedly included the 4th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, along with a goalie and a few prospects. The Jets reportedly rejected this trade because the Sabres wanted the 8th overall pick with Hellebuyck in this trade. The Sabres remain a strong contender to land Hellebuyck, as they have a good prospect pool with several young players that could step into the Jets lineup right away.

Two teams that might just be the “next best options” for a Hellebuyck trade are the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights. The Panthers lost their starting goalie Sergei Bobrovsky this off-season, and even though they acquired Jacob Markstrom, there would be a possibility of him serving as a back up to Hellebuyck. Unlike the Sabres, the Panthers don’t have a good prospect pool, but they would be able to make an offer to the Jets which includes one or two experienced players that could enter the Jets lineup right away.

The Vegas Golden Knights are another intriguing option that the Jets should listen to offers from if they’re interested in Hellebuyck. The Golden Knights used a few different goalies last season before settling with Carter Hart for their long playoff run, but they could be looking for more stability in this role as to look to remain a Stanley Cup contender. The Golden Knights always seem to trade away their top prospects for immediate NHL talent, and the Jets could make a deal that boosts their chances of returning to the playoffs as soon as possible.

Outside of the Sabres, Panthers and Golden Knights, there will likely be a handful of other teams that will attempt to acquire Hellebuyck’s talents in goal. The Edmonton Oilers have been needing a “proper” starting goalie for multiple years now, so there would be no better option for them to go out and acquire than Hellebuyck. The New Jersey Devils are without a starting goalie after trading away Jacob Markstrom, and they have the right pieces available to put together a strong offer for Hellebuyck, which would greatly improve their chances of making the playoffs. A final “wildcard” team that could look to acquire Hellebuyck is the San Jose Sharks, a team that is quickly getting out of a rebuild, with plenty of young talent throughout their roster and prospect pool.

In terms of what makes the most sense for the Jets, I believe that they need to try and acquire a starting goalie in return for Hellebuyck. Stuart Skinner has playoff experience from his time with the Oilers, but he might not be who the Jets would like to have as a starter in the long term after Hellebuyck. The Jets organization has said that it would like to get back in the playoffs as soon as possible rather than begin a rebuild, so the Hellebuyck trade needs to be a move that gives the Jets some players that will improve their roster both in the short and longer term. It may still take a while before the Jets complete and honour Hellebuyck’s trade request (likely before the season starts), but stayed tuned to the latest Jets news to be ready for when this important move happens.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season is coming to a close as we hit very late August, and teams will start hitting the ice for training camps beginning in just a few weeks. Stay tuned for more “goals and expectations” articles leading up to training camp, as I’ll look at what to expect from 2026-27 Jets players throughout the lineup. Let us know on our Daily Faceoff Winnipeg socials if there’s a certain player you’d like us to cover next!

PRESENTED BY PRAIRIE TOYOTA DEALERS

Connor Hellebuyck publicly confirms trade request from Winnipeg Jets

Nation World HQ — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:00:21 GMT

On Thursday afternoon, Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has publicly confirmed that he requested a trade from the Winnipeg Jets, releasing a statement through Alpha Hockey on Wednesday afternoon.

The Jets goaltender said the request was made privately several months ago, but with training camp approaching, he felt it was necessary to make his position public.

“Winnipeg has been my home for my entire NHL career, and I will always be grateful for my time there,” Hellebuyck said in the statement. I have never forgotten June 23, 2012. That’s the day Winnipeg took a chance on a goalie playing in Odessa, TX. I gave everything I had from that moment to prove that the Jets made the right decision.”

Hellebuyck was selected by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft, has spent his entire NHL career with the organization, and is currently in the third year of a seven-year extension. Over that time, he has become one of the league’s top goaltenders and one of the most important players in the Jets’ modern history.

The 33-year-old made it clear in his statement that his position has not changed since the original request was made.

“Several months ago, I privately requested a trade. I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options. With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request. My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family.”

The public confirmation puts the Jets in a tricky position as the off-season draws closer to training camp. Hellebuyck has been a major part of Winnipeg’s identity for more than a decade, and moving a goaltender of his calibre would represent one of the biggest decisions the organization has made in years.

The statement does not name any preferred destinations or provide details about what led to the request, but Hellebuyck closed by thanking Jets fans for their support throughout his career.

“I appreciate everything Winnipeg Jets fans have meant to me throughout my career and hope a resolution can be reached soon.”

For now, the Jets are left with a clear trade request from one of the best goaltenders in the NHL and a timeline that is becoming harder to ignore with camp on the way.