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Goals and expectations for the versatile winger Alex Iafallo

Connor Baldwin — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 03:25:37 GMT

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The Winnipeg Jets are now 51 days away from opening their 2026-27 NHL season at home against the Boston Bruins. The Jets are also 74 days away from hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic. The long days of the NHL off-season are almost over, as we can soon start looking ahead to the 2026-27 season.

Today marks the 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 a versatile forward who played up and down the lineup last season while providing important special teams minutes: Alex Iafallo.

The Jets acquired Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and Gabriel Vilardi plus a second round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft for Pierre-Luc Dubois back on June 27th, 2023. At the time of the trade, Iafallo was seen as the “2nd or 3rd best” piece to this trade, and now Iafallo continues to be an important member of the middle of the Jets lineup. Iafallo went undrafted after his junior career, but after playing four seasons with the University or Minnesota-Duluth, Iafallo joined the Los Angeles Kings in the 2017-18 season.

Iafallo’s career high in points occured back in the 2019-20 NHL season, where he recorded 43 points in 70 games. Iafallo has averaged around 30-35 points a season throughout his career, and last season Iafallo scored 13 goals and added 16 assists for 29 points. Although the point total may seem a little low, Iafallo was 6th on the Jets for points, a sign that the team lacked quite a lot of depth scoring throughout the lineup in a season where they missed the playoffs. Due to injuries from various forwards, Iafallo spent time on pretty much every line at some point in the season. Iafallo is versatile enough to have this not “hurt his game”, and the 2026-27 NHL season will hopefully be one where Iafallo can settle into one line for the majority of the season.

Iafallo’s spot in the Jets lineup depends on what happens with several players in the pre-season. Viggo Bjork and Brad Lambert both have opportunities to earn 2nd line minutes alongside Cole Perfetti, but they’ll both need to prove they’re ready to be in a top six role. Iafallo could serve as a 2nd line winger (either on the left or right side) if one or both of them aren’t in that spot on opening night. The second option is for Iafallo to be an every game player on the Jets 3rd line, providing a little more of a “defensive” role with linemates that will be less focused on their scoring and more focused on shutting down their opponents.

In terms of special teams, Iafallo will likely see some playing time on the Jets 2nd powerplay unit and 2nd penalty kill unit. Iafallo continues to develop his skills on the special teams, something which adds to his versatility in the Jets lineup. Iafallo has a very reasonable cap hit of $3.66 million for the next two seasons, and the Jets will get full value out of Iafallo if he continues to be a reliable and versatile winger that can be a regular depth scoring and penalty killing forward.

With everything that Iafallo has to offer in mind, I could see Iafallo (with the right linemates) setting a new career high of 18 goals in the 2026-27 season, surpassing his previous career high of 17 goals in two different seasons. Depending on the quality of his linemates, Iafallo could reach 20 assists this upcoming season for a 38 point season, which would be the 2nd highest total of his career. Fans continue to view Iafallo as a hard working forward who accepts whatever challenges come his way, and the trust the Jets organization has for Iafallo with his skillset makes him a player to keep an eye on in the 2026-27 NHL season.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season continues into the rest of August, as teams are still enjoying their last two or three weeks off before training camps begin in September. Stay tuned for more “goals and expectations” articles throughout the month of August (and early September) as I’ll look at what to expect from 2026-27 Jets players throughout the lineup. Let us know on our socials if there’s a certain player you’d like us to cover next, as we want to make sure this series covers the players you want to know more about!

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Goals and expectations for the newly signed defensive defenceman Mario Ferraro

Connor Baldwin — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 19:10:10 GMT

Follow us on our Jets Nation socials! X/Twitter: @NHLJetsNation and on Instagram: @JetsNationDotCa

The Winnipeg Jets are now Dylan Samberg (54) days away from opening their 2026-27 NHL season at home against the Boston Bruins. The long days of the NHL off-season are getting closer to completion, as we can almost start looking ahead to the season ahead.

Today marks the beginning of a series that I’ve covered the past two off-seasons known as the “goals and expectations” series. It’s a series that will preview what to expect (and predict) from Jets players in the 2026-27 season, starting with a player that I’ve hardly talked about this off-season since the Jets signed him: Mario Ferraro.

The Jets most notable free agent signing that will get regular playing time is Ferraro, a 27-year old left-handed defenceman from Toronto. Ferraro was drafted 49th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks. After playing two seasons of University hockey, Ferraro made his NHL debut with the Sharks in the 2019-20 season, and has been in the NHL with the Sharks ever since. Ferraro recorded a career high 23 points (7 goals and 16 assists) in 82 games in the 2025-26 season.

On July 1st, Ferraro was an unrestricted free agent, and the Jets signed the defensive defenceman to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $4 million. Not only did Ferraro set a career high in points last season, he also recorded 150 blocked shots, and averaged 21 minutes of ice-time, which was third on the Sharks. Ferraro played over 277 minutes on the ice shorthanded, which led the Sharks. Ferraro had 137 hits in the 2025-26 season, and you can consistently see him trying to get into those “tough” areas behind the net.

With all of those stats and numbers in mind, what should Jets fans expect from Ferraro in the 2026-27 season? He’s a player that I haven’t mentioned nearly enough since the Jets signed him, but I believe he’ll be a great fit on the Jets blue line. Ferraro is projected to play on the left side of the Jets third pairing, and his defence partner at the beginning of the season could be a few different players until Elias Salomonsson returns from injury. Ferraro should have another 20 point season while being a regular member of the Jets penalty kill, whether that be on the 1st or 2nd unit.

One thing that is certain, Jets fans will get to see a new hard-working, physical, and energetic defenceman in the 2026-27 season. Ferraro also has some leadership qualities, having spent some time as the Sharks alternate captain. Despite being just 5’11” and 200 lbs, Ferraro plays a physical game, collecting high totals in hits, shot blocks, and other defensive stats. Ferraro is a workhorse and one of those “glue guys” to any team he’s on, and Jets fans should be excited about this new addition for the upcoming 2026-27 NHL season.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season continues into the rest of August, as teams are still enjoying their last few weeks off before training camps begin in September. Stay tuned for more “goals and expectations” articles throughout the month as I’ll look at what to expect from 2026-27 Jets players throughout the lineup. Let us know on our socials if there’s a certain player you’d like us to cover next, as we want to make sure this series covers the players you want to know more about!

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Three Winnipeg Jets players who may have the most to prove in the 2026-27 season

Connor Baldwin — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 03:15:00 GMT

Follow us on our Jets Nation socials! X/Twitter: @NHLJetsNation and on Instagram: @JetsNationDotCa

The Winnipeg Jets are now a little under two months away from opening their 2026-27 NHL season at home against the Boston Bruins. The long days of the NHL off-season are almost past us, as we can almost start looking ahead to the season ahead. Winnipeg Jets single game tickets go on sale soon, and the anticipation for the Heritage Classic game in October will continue to build as the season approaches.

Just like my latest article on upcoming Jets milestones, I was looking back at some articles I wrote in August last year, and I found one where I talked about “Three Winnipeg Jets players who may have the most to prove in the 2025-26 season”. I decided to double down on this topic, this time looking ahead at the 2026-27 season.

To quickly recap last year’s article, the players I talked about prior to last season were Dylan Samberg, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nikita Chibrikov and an honourable mention to Morgan Barron. All three of these main players didn’t exactly “prove” what they should’ve last season, for different reasons. Samberg dealt with injuries and didn’t look as comfortable in his top-four role, Namestnikov had a big down year in a bottom-six role, and Chibrikov didn’t have a productive year with the Moose and was held pointless in the 11 games he played with the Jets.

As for Morgan Barron, he did “prove” what was mentioned in last year’s article, being a reliable 4th line centre who set a career high in points with 23 despite only playing 65 games. Just like last year’s article, it’s important to remember that my definition of “prove” here relates to my own expectations for that given player, which will influence my outlook on what I want to see from that player going into the 2026-27 season.

Brad Lambert

All three of the players I chose for this upcoming season are young players with something to prove in their projected roles, starting with Brad Lambert. The 22-year old from Finland was drafted by the Jets 30th overall in the 1st round of the 2022 NHL Draft. After a successful final year in junior hockey following his draft year, Lambert had an impressive 55 points in 64 games with the Manitoba Moose in his 1st full pro season.

Since the 2023-24 season, Lambert’s production has dropped, but the potential remains there for a scoring top-six fit in the Jets organization. Prior to the 2025-26 season, Lambert had only 6 games of NHL experience (0 goals, 2 assists), but this season he got a good look with the team, tallying 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points in 25 games. The 2026-27 season should be the time for Lambert to step up in training camp and earn himself a full time roster spot on the Jets. Depending on Lambert’s production, a top-six role isn’t out of the question, as this role would be the most beneficial for Lambert to play in as he continues to get closer to his full potential.

Cole Perfetti

Next up is Cole Perfetti, another former Jets 1st round pick who is still looking to unlock his full potential. The 24-year old from Ontario was drafted by the Jets 10th overall in the 1st round of the 2020 NHL Draft. Perfetti adapted fairly quickly to NHL hockey, and became an important depth scorer for the Jets in the 2023-24 season.

Perfetti’s “peak” so far in his career was the 2024-25 season, where he collected 50 points in 82 games. Last season Perfetti dealt with injuries, and finished the season with 32 points in 68 games. In the off-season, Perfetti signed a new five-year, $30 million contract extension. With this new contract comes greater expecations, a theme that I’ll touch on for several players when I begin the “goals and expectations” series in a few weeks. Perfetti needs to prove that he can be a reliable second line winger, one that will hopefully have some new and improved linemates to help contribute to his success.

Isak Rosen

I could have gone a few different ways with this third player, but I decided to go with a newly acquired Jet from the trade deadline: Isak Rosen. The Logan Stanley trade so far seems like a win for the Jets at this time, and it could become more of a win if Rosen develops in a depth scorer on the Jets bottom six. The 23-year old from Sweden was drafted 14th overall in the 1st round of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.

Rosen has split his first three NHL seasons between the NHL and AHL. Before this most recent season, Rosen had only 1 assist in 15 NHL games, but he had tremendous success in the AHL, most notably collecting 55 points in 61 games in the 2024-25 season. After collecting 43 points in 37 games in the AHL in the 2025-26 season, Rosen began to earn more playing time in the NHL. Rosen scored 6 goals and 4 assists in 37 games (16 with the Sabres and 21 with the Jets). Rosen is a bit of a “wildcard” for this Jets team, as his role on the 3rd or 4th line could depend on how the rest of bottom six looks. If Rosen can unlock even some of his scoring touch from the AHL, he could be a valuable member of the Jets in the 2026-27 season.

Nino Niederreiter & Neal Pionk (honourable mentions)

The honorable mentions this season go to Nino Niederreiter and Neal Pionk. Each player is in different situations in terms of their outlooks on their current contracts, but they both need to prove that they can be important members of this Jets roster in the 2026-27 season. Nino Niederreiter, like many other forwards on the Jets, struggled last season, scoring only 8 goals and 11 assists for 19 points. Niederreiter’s veteran presence and experience are valuable to the Jets looker room, but he needs to be more productive in his final year of his current three year contract at a $4 million cap hit.

Pionk is only two years younger than Niederreiter, but he’s only done year one of his current six year contract. Pionk has been a solid top-four defencemen throughout his career with the New York Rangers and Jets, averaging around 35 points a season. Last season Pionk dealt with injuries, appearing in only 51 games, where he tallied just 3 goals and 9 assists for 12 points. Pionk is one of the “prime candidates” for a bounce back season on the Jets, and he’ll be eager to prove to the Jets organization that his contract was worth it for the current 2nd pairing right handed defencemen alongside Dylan Samberg.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season wonders on, as teams continue to enjoy their last few weeks off before training camps begin in September. Were any of these three players a surprise to you? Is there a player who I should have mentioned? There’s probably a few more Jets who need to prove themselves (in various ways) in the 2026-27 season, but these three players should be on the front of the radars for most Jets fans.

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Upcoming career milestones for members of the 2026-27 Winnipeg Jets

Connor Baldwin — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 23:40:19 GMT

Follow us on our Jets Nation socials! X/Twitter: @NHLJetsNation and on Instagram: @JetsNationDotCa

The Winnipeg Jets are now two months away from opening their 2026-27 NHL season at home against the Boston Bruins. The long days of the NHL off-season are almost past us, as we can almost start looking ahead to the season ahead.

Milestones in sports are always something to watch for whether your team is doing well or not. Last year in August I wrote about the upcoming milestones for Jets players going into the 2025-26 season, so I’m returning to this idea for the 2026-27 season. Although last season wasn’t a success for the Jets as a team (the year after setting multiple team records), there were several individual accomplishments that marked personal or franchise milestones. There’s more of those milestones that should be reached this season, so here’s an overall rundown of some of the career accomplishments coming up soon for the members of the 2026-27 Winnipeg Jets.

The Jets 1st line

Just like the previous two seasons, the majority of the Jets notable milestones will come from the 1st line. Mark Scheifele continues to be “Mr. Milestone” for the Jets, and he’s now the Jets 2.0 all time leading scorer. This season Scheifele could reach another two or three milestones in his historic career. Scheifele will reach 1000 games played after 39 more games, a rare milestone in Jets history. Scheifele is 28 goals from 400 in his career, a very achievable total for the 1st line centre. The final notable milestone, which may be a little challenging to reach, is 1000 career points. After an outstanding 103 point season, Scheifele would need a 93 point season to reach the big 1000 points milestone.

Kyle Connor continues to be a goal scoring machine for the Jets, as he continues to average around 35 goals a season. Last year Connor reached 300 career goals, and this season Connor needs 27 goals to reach 350 career goals. Connor will also reach 700 career games played (currently at 695) and 700 career points (currently at 674) in the early months of the season. Gabriel Vilardi hasn’t had as lengthy a career as Connor and Scheifele, but he’s still on track to reach 150 career goals and 300 career points in the upcoming season.

Nino Niederreiter

Nino Niederreiter reached 1000 career games played last season, and he should have reached two other notable milestones if it weren’t for a poor offensive season. Niederreiter is 2 goals away from 250 career goals, and just 1 point away from 500 career points.

The rest of the Jets projected forward group are either in the early stages of their careers or have upcoming milestones that aren’t super notable in terms of NHL career totals. There’s a few players that should reach 300 career points, and Vladislav Namestnikov might reach 900 career games played, but apart from those there shouldn’t be many other milestones of note.

Jets defence group and goalies

The Jets blue line continues to be led by Josh Morrissey, who has a few notable milestones on the horizon. Morrissey is 61 games away from 800 in his career, and 6 goals from 100 on his career. After a 55 point season, Morrissey is now 72 points away from 500 in his career. This total probably won’t be reached in the 2026-27 season, but if it were to be reached it would mark a fantastic season from Morrissey.

Neal Pionk is 32 points away from 300 in his career, a very respectable total for a defenceman. The rest of the Jets defence group is either early in their careers or not close to any major or notable milestones in their own careers.

Connor Hellebuyck was another Jets player that came up just short of a few very notable career milestones. Hellebuyck already owns pretty much all of the Jets all-time goalie records, so now he’s making his way up the ranks for all-time goalie records. After a disappointing 23-23-11 record, Hellebuyck needs 5 more wins to reach 350 in his career, which would put him very close to top 25 all-time. The other notable milestone for Hellebuyck which maybe should’ve been reached last season was 50 career shutouts. After a season with no shutouts (following an eight shutout year), Hellebuyck still needs 5 shutouts to reach 50, an achievable total for one of the league’s best goalies if the Jets return closer to the team they were in the 2024-25 season.

That mostly covers the milestones that you should be watching for from the 2026-27 Jets players. There’s probably a few others that I missed, whether that’s in their careers or in the Jets all-time rankings, but the ones I mentioned will be notable on the Jets social media when they are reached. Make sure to follow along here at Jets Nation to see when these milestones are hit so we can all celebrate our Jets together.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season wonders on, as teams continue to enjoy their last few weeks off before training camps begin in September. Make sure to check out the previous articles in this year’s “year in review” series, and stay tuned for more off-season content leading up to the 2026-27 season in late September! Last year’s milestones article for the 2025-26 season can be viewed HERE.

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Updated JetsNation’s top 5 Winnipeg Jets prospects post 2026 NHL draft

Connor Baldwin — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:25:34 GMT

Follow us on our Jets Nation socials! X/Twitter: @NHLJetsNation and on Instagram: @JetsNationDotCa

The Winnipeg Jets are now just over two months away from their 2026-27 NHL home (and season) opener against the Boston Bruins at Canada Life Centre. The mostly slow days of the NHL off-season are almost done, as most teams have a good idea of their how their rosters will look like heading into training camp. Heading into August tomorrow, today is a good day to look at an updated ranking of the Jets top 5 prospects. This list is simply my own look at the recent draftees who have the best chance to make an impact in the NHL with the Jets in the near future, with some honourable mentions mentioned at the end.

5. Sascha Boumedienne (LD)

Sneaking into the top five this year is the Jets 1st round pick from the 2025 NHL draft. Although Boumedienne wasn’t included in my top five last year after the draft, Boumedienne has worked his way into the fifth spot. The 19-year old from Sweden finished his 2nd season with Boston University with 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points in 35 games. Boumedienne had a strong World Junior tournament with Sweden, collecting 2 goals and 2 assists in 7 games while being a leader among the Swedish defencemen. Boumedienne has been praised for being a very “attentive” player who is always aware of what needs to happen next whether that’s on the attack or on defence. Boumedienne will be joining Ohio State University next season after transferring from Boston University in mid-April.

4. Brad Lambert (C/RW)

Once the Jets top prospect, Lambert remains in the top five going into what could be his first full NHL season. The 22-year old from Finland was the Jets 1st round pick in 2022, and since his draft year he’s split his time playing mostly in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose and some games with the Jets. Although Lambert didn’t have a productive year with the Moose in the 2025-26 season, Lambert did get 25 games with the Jets, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points. Lambert has always been praised for his “high offensive upside”, something which Jets fans could see more of next season. There’s a chance that Lambert gets some playing time in the top six in the 2026-27 season, which could really help his development as he works his way into being a full time NHLer.

3. Elias Salomonsson (RD)

The number one ranked prospect before last season for the Jets (by me) made the leap to the NHL in the 2025-26 season. The 21-year old from Sweden (the Jets seem to have lots of prospects from Sweden now) was a 2nd round pick in the 2022 draft. Initially Salomonsson was considered a “pretty good” prospect, but he quickly worked his way up the rankings in the Jets organization with a strong two-way defensive game in Sweden and with the Manitoba Moose. In the 2025-26 season, Salomonsson tallied 10 points in 29 games with the Moose and 5 points in 32 games with the Jets, while looking NHL ready almost right from the beginning. Salomonsson is currently recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, but he should be ready to return to play shortly after the regular season begins. Salomonsson appears to be a lock to be the Jets 3rd pairing right side defenceman (behind DeMelo and Pionk) with the potential to move up into the top 4 in the future.

2. Brayden Yager (C/RW)

Yager moves up one spot from last season into the top two. The Pittsburgh Penguins 1st round pick from the 2023 NHL Draft was acquired by the Jets in the infamous Rutger McGroarty trade, a deal which the Penguins seemed to have “won” in the early stages. The 21-year old forward from Canada has plenty of potential in his game, and could easily make that trade go in the Jets favour in the near future. After dominating in his final junior season, Yager made his pro debut in the 2025-26 season with the Manitoba Moose. The transition to AHL hockey was pretty smooth for Yager, and he collected 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 68 games in his first pro season. The Jets rewarded Yager with his NHL debut at the end of the season, and Yager got two more games before the season ended. Although Yager will start the 2026-27 season with the Moose, Yager should now be one of the first call ups for the Jets, especially if it’s in a scoring role in the middle of the lineup.

1. Viggo Bjork (C/RW)

Not much surprise here, but the Jets first round pick from the 2026 NHL draft is the new number one Jets prospect. Whoever was picked with that 8th overall pick was likely to be at this number one spot in the “prospect pool”, but Bjork is a true number one prospect. The 18-year old from Sweden rose up the draft rankings in the second half of his draft year, and the Jets felt lucky that Bjork was still available at the eight spot. Bjork split his season between Djurgardens’s junior and main team in the Swedish league. Bjork collected 15 points in 42 games in the SHL. Bjork had a very productive World Juniors (9 points in 7 games) and he even impressed on a younger Swedish side at the World Championships, where he finished the tournament with 6 points in 5 games. Bjork left his contract with Djurgardens early to join the Jets organization, signing his entry level deal with hopes of making the team as an 18-year old. It’s unclear where Bjork would play if he doesn’t make the Jets out of training camp, but regardless, there’s plenty of reasons to be excited about the Jets top prospect, who is a very smart forward that will make a big impact in the NHL in the near future.

Honourable Mentions

There’s several other Jets prospects that deserve a mention as they continue to develop on their different pathways to the NHL. On the blue line, the Jets 2nd round pick from 2024 Alfons Freij is ready to play in his first full pro season with the Moose next season after appearing in 5 games in the AHL at the end of the 2025-26 season. The rest of the notable Jets prospects are young forwards that will mostly be developing their games with the Manitoba Moose next season. Nikita Chibrikov is still considered an NHL ready prospect despite now being 23 years old, and he should be an early call up option for the Jets. Colby Barlow is another Jets prospect who is grinding away with the Moose, with hopes of making his NHL debut late in the 2026-27 season. Kevin He and Kieron Walton will likely make their pro debuts with the Moose this season, and Jacob Julien will be back with the Moose after he experienced his first full season in the AHL. There’s a few other Jets prospects that could be on the rise in the coming seasons, but for now Jets fans should be happy with the direction the Jets prospect pool is shaping up heading into the 2026-27 season.

Up Next

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Six Jets make NHL.com’s Fantasy Hockey top 250 player rankings for the 2026-27 season

Connor Baldwin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 03:40:32 GMT

Follow us on our Jets Nation socials! X/Twitter: @NHLJetsNation and on Instagram: @JetsNationDotCa

The Winnipeg Jets are now 66 days away from their 2026-27 NHL home (and season) opener against the Boston Bruins at Canada Life Centre. NHL teams have had a month now to explore the free agent market, making trades and signings with the goal of improving their rosters for the upcoming 2026-27 NHL season.

Although it might be way too early to do your yearly NHL fantasy drafts this week, there’s always time to start thinking about who you might want to draft. Last year seven Jets made NHL.com’s “Fantasy Hockey top 200 player rankings” for the 2025-26 season, and this season six Jets made their updated list of the top 250 players (for standard leagues) for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

27. Connor Hellebuyck (G) – 2025-26 Rank: 11

Picking your two goalies for Fantasy Hockey can be tough, as you’re never really sure when it’s the right time to make to step up and make these picks. Although Connor Hellebuyck’s 2025-26 season was no where near his MVP winning 2024-25 season, he’s still ranked in the top five for goalies. Winnipeg is counting on bounce back seasons from multiple players, including Hellebuyck, who will get you points for the wins (and hopefully shutouts) that he picks up along the 84 game season.

30. Kyle Connor (F) – 2025-26 Rank: 13

Just like last season, Kyle Connor finds himself just behind Hellebuyck as the Jets’ most valuable Fantasy Hockey player. If you want an elite goal scorer on your team, Connor is your guy. Connor has back to back 90+ point seasons now, and he’s also a strong bet to pick up powerplay points, which are worth extra points in most leagues. Hellebuyck and Connor’s drop from their ranks last year are likely more to do with an emergence from other elite players from all around the league.

32. Mark Scheifele (F) – 2025-26 Rank: 22

Moving into the 3rd or 4th round of fantasy drafts (depending on how many players are in your league) you will find Mark Scheifele available. Fresh off a career high 103 points, Scheifele continues to be an elite 1st centre for the Jets. Just like Connor, Scheifele will pick up valuable powerplay points, and he’ll be on the ice in key situations. Scheifele’s consistency will make him a desirable addition to any Fantasy Hockey lineup.

127. Gabriel Vilardi (F) – 2025-26 Rank: 74

It’s quite a big jump until the next ranked Jets player on this list, who happens to be the other forward on Scheifele and Connor’s line. I’m a bit surprised that Vilardi isn’t in the top 100, considering that he just had a season with a career high 30 goals and 69 points. Vilardi wasn’t always on the first line due to injuries around the lineup, but you can expect Vilardi to be on the 1st line to start this season with Scheifele and Connor, making him a good mid to late round addition to the forwards you draft.

147. Josh Morrissey (D) – 2025-26 Rank: 86

The first of two Jets defencemen on this list is the Jets number one defenceman: Josh Morrissey. Morrissey did have a bit of a “down year” in terms of production last season, but I’m still a bit surprised that he’s not a bit closer to the top 100 this season. Morrissey is projected to have around 60 points this season, and he’ll be back on the Jets top powerplay unit. Although it’s sometimes not noticeable, Morrissey averages over a blocked shot per game, a good secondary way of collecting some extra fantasy points in close matchups.

249. Neal Pionk (D) – 2025-26 Rank: 152

Just squeaking on this list is the Jets next most offensive defenceman: Neal Pionk. After averaging over 30 points per season in his career, Pionk only had 12 points last season. Missing time with injuries certainly factored into his not so great season, but Jets fans are hoping for a bounce back season from Pionk, as he’s still in the very early stages of his current long term contract. Pionk is also pretty consistent with getting blocked shots, which can add a little more value as an extra defenceman or waiver pickup in fantasy.

Others to consider: Cole Perfetti (F) – 2025-26 Rank: 163

Cole Perfetti didn’t make the list this year after a subpar 32 point season. Perfetti’s name was included in a short “others to consider” list, as he’s a top candidate to have a bounce back season. Perfetti recently signed his new five-year contract, so having no pressure about an upcoming contract should relieve some pressure from Perfetti’s mindset going into a new season. If the Jets can get some good linemates for Perfetti on the 2nd line, it’ll be at least a 40+ point season for the 24-year old forward.

The Jets’ number one netminder and their top line are once again their most valuable players for Fantasy Hockey this season. Other than the six (+ honourable mention) Jets players on this list, it’s tough to justify any other Jets making this list, although there should be a few other Jets who have good seasons for their given roles. Jets fans should try to get at least one of these players on their fantasy rosters for the 2026-27 season, and now you’ll hopefully be more prepared when drafts begin in September!

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season continues on, as teams are enjoying their last few weeks off before training camps begin in September. Make sure to check out the previous articles in this year’s “year in review” series, and stay tuned for more off-season content leading up to the 2026-27 season in late September! If you want to see NHL.com’s full list, you can check out their article here: “Fantasy hockey top 250 player rankings for 2026-27“. Last year’s Jets Nation article on this same topic can be viewed here: “Seven Jets make NHL.com’s “Fantasy Hockey top 200 player rankings” for the 2025-26 season“.

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What does the Jets’ projected lineup look like after the first three weeks of NHL free agency?

Connor Baldwin — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:10:14 GMT

Follow us on our Jets Nation socials! X/Twitter: @NHLJetsNation and on Instagram: @JetsNationDotCa

The Jets Nation “year in review” series wrapped earlier this week, so now we return to the middle of the NHL off-season. NHL teams have had a few weeks now to explore the open market, making trades and signings with the goal of improving their rosters for the upcoming 2026-27 NHL season. With an upcoming earlier start to a season that will now feature 84 regular season games, the Jets projected lineup is starting to take shape for opening night. Of course nothing is finalized until opening night, so until then we can only come up with our best go at a projected lineup for the Jets 2026-27 season.

Jets Projected Forward Lineups

Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Gabriel Vilardi

Cole Perfetti – Viggo Bjork – Brad Lambert

Nino Niederreiter – Adam Lowry – Alex Iafallo

Cole Koepke – Morgan Barron – Isak Rosen

Extras / depth options: Vladislav Namestnikov, Walker Duehr, Noah Gregor, and Nikita Chibrikov

The Jets elite 1st line remains unchanged once again. Connor, Scheifele, and Vilardi are now all locked up long term. Although there was some line shuffling last season, this line should be the number one option for the Jets throughout the 2026-27 season.

The 2nd line is where things get interesting. As of July 24th, the Jets still don’t have a true “2nd line centre”, a position that they continue to hope to acquire in the off-season. Adam Lowry, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Morgan Barron don’t have enough “scoring touch” in their games to be in the top six, so could Viggo Bjork step into the NHL as an 18-year old? The young combination of Perfetti, Bjork and Lambert would certainly please Jets fans, as it would signify a shift in allowing younger Jets prospects a change to thrive in top six roles at the highest level.

As for the bottom six, there won’t be too many changes compared to last season. Niederreiter, Lowry, and Iafallo appear to be the current best options for a 3rd line, with Namestnikov and potentially Chibrikov other options on the wing. The 4th line will feature Koepke and Barron almost for sure, and Rosen could be used higher up in the lineup or as a depth option depending on how the Jets want to shape the rest of their forward group. There’s certainly a few quality options for depth forwards, and there’s also the possibility of seeing some of the Jets top forward prospects enter the lineup later in the season such as Brayden Yager, Danny Zhilkin, and Colby Barlow.

Jets Projected Defence Lineups

Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo

Dylan Samberg – Neal Pionk

Mario Ferraro – Haydn Fleury

Extras / depth options: Jack St. Ivany, Henry Thrun, Tyrel Bauer, Isaak Phillips

Injured: Elias Salomonsson

Compared to the forward group, there’s less change to the Jets blue line for the upcoming season. The top four remains unchanged for a third straight season. Morrissey and DeMelo continue to be an excellent offensive-defensive combo, and Samberg and Pionk will both be looking to have healthy bounce back seasons.

The third pairing is where they’ll be changes, with the free agent addition of Mario Ferraro. The sixth defender is “up for grabs” at the start of the season, as Elias Salomonsson will be out at the start of the season as he continues to recover from off-season shoulder surgery. The most likely option appears to be Fleury, but there’s a handful of other options that could play alongside Ferraro on the third pairing.

Goalies

Connor Hellebuyck – Stuart Skinner

We’ve all heard of the noise around Hellebuyck potentially being traded this off-season, but for now he remains the Jets number one goalie. Stuart Skinner was added from the free agent market on July 1st, a netminder which will serve as a quality backup to Hellebuyck to begin the season. If Hellebuyck is moved before the season begins, Skinner has plenty of experience as a starting goalie to step up in that role. The most likely “third option” for the Jets in net is currently Thomas Milic.

Just like everything else in the NHL off-season, things can change quickly when it comes to these projected lineups. The Jets have multiple depth players and quality prospects who will be fighting for roster spots during training camp. Salary cap isn’t an issue for the Jets at the moment, as they currently have about $5.5 million in cap space. It’s important for the Jets to create a lineup that will lead them back to the playoffs, but for now, Jets fans can continue to enjoy the summer weather, and look ahead to August days of the NHL off-season.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season continues on, as teams continue to explore options for improving their rosters. Make sure to check out the previous articles in this year’s “year in review” series, and stay tuned for more off-season content leading up to the 2026-27 season in late September.

PRESENTED BY PRAIRIE TOYOTA DEALERS

Remaining players from the 2025-26 Winnipeg Jets: Jets Nation year in review finale

Connor Baldwin — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 04:35:24 GMT

Follow us on our Jets Nation socials! X/Twitter: @NHLJetsNation and on Instagram: @JetsNationDotCa

Welcome back to the final edition of the “Jets Nation year in review” series to wrap up and recap the Winnipeg Jets 2025-26 season. This series has finally reached its conclusion, after nearly two months. I’ve been looking at the individual seasons from Jets players throughout the 2025-26 season and I’ve taken a quick look ahead to what the upcoming 2026-27 season may have in store for each player. Tonight’s players are the ten other skaters who made appearances (as call-ups or acquired mid-season) for the Jets throughout the 2025-26 season.

First up is one of the main pieces of the Logan Stanley trade that the Jets acquired: Isak Rosen. The 23-year old Swedish forward was drafted 14th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, and has split time between the AHL and NHL in the early stages of his career. Rosen collected 43 points in 37 games in the AHL this season, and 7 points in 16 games with the Sabres prior to joining the Jets. Rosen’s production dipped with the Jets, only scoring 3 goals and 0 assists for 3 points in 21 games, but he looked like a player the Jets could use next season as he adapted to his new team with older linemates. Rosen signed a new two year deal with a cap hit of $925,000, giving the Jets a solid bottom six option (with potential) or a player who can produce well for the Manitoba Moose.

Jacob Bryson was the other player that was sent from the Sabres to the Jets in the Stanley trade. The 28-year old defenceman spent his whole career with the Sabres, and he collected 5 points in 35 games prior to joining the Jets in the 2025-26 season. Bryson provided a depth option for the Jets blue line, collecting 3 assists in 15 games. Bryson left the Jets on July 1st when he became an unrestricted free agent, signing a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Detroit Red Wings.

Colin Miller missed 35 games this season due to a knee injury which required surgery. Miler appeared in 18 games this season, collecting 2 assists, while remaining a stable veteran presence on the blue line. The 33-year old defender was an unrestricted free agent before he signed a one-year contract with Lausanne HC in the Swiss National League on July 1st.

There were several Jets prospects who made their NHL debuts this season, including Danil Zhilkin. The 22-year old from Russia recorded his first career NHL point with an assist in his 6th (and most recent) game. Parker Ford made his NHL debut in the 2024-25 season, appearing in 3 games, and this season Ford appeared in 15 games, collecting his first career assist.

Isak Phillips made his Jets debut after one and a half seasons with the Manitoba Moose. The former Chicago Blackhawk appeared in 3 games. Walker Duehr also made his Jets debut this season after spending the early parts of his career between the Flames and Sharks and their AHL affiliates. Duehr had a strong season with the Moose, collecting 34 points in 62 games, and with the Jets he appeared in 3 games.

The final three players who wore the Jets jersey in the 2025-26 season were younger players looking to make an impact in the NHL in the near future. Brayden Yager is considered a top 5 Jets prospect, and after recording 30 points in 68 games with the Moose, Yager appeared in 3 games with the Jets. Ville Heinola had a very solid season with the Moose, collecting 21 points in 44 games, but he only got to play in 5 games with the Jets. This off-season Heinola signed with the Golden Knights, with hopes of getting more opportunity to play in the NHL after a very good World Championship.

Nikita Chibrikov had 5 games of NHL experience entering this season, scoring a total of 3 goals and 1 assists for 4 points. This season Chibrikov appeared in 11 games, but couldn’t collect any points as he was primarily used in a 4th line “shutdown” role. One player who didn’t get to play for the Jets this season was Mason Shaw, who led the Manitoba Moose with 44 points in 71 games. The Jets didn’t offer Shaw a new contract, and Shaw signed with the Minnesota Wild on a one-year contract on July 1st, going back to the organization where he spent the first seven years of his career.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL off-season continues on, as teams continue to explore options for improving their rosters. Make sure to check out the other articles in this year’s “year in review” series, and stay tuned for more off-season content leading up to the 2026-27 season in late September.

PRESENTED BY PRAIRIE TOYOTA DEALERS

Anchored by puck-moving blueliners and steady veterans: the rest of the defencemen Jets Nation year in review

Connor Baldwin — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 03:00:19 GMT

Follow us on our Jets Nation socials! X/Twitter: @NHLJetsNation and on Instagram: @JetsNationDotCa

Welcome back to the second last edition of the “Jets Nation year in review” series to wrap up and recap the Winnipeg Jets 2025-26 season. This series is very close to its conclusion, and the full NHL schedule for the 2026-27 season will be announced tomorrow. I’ll continue to look at the individual seasons from Jets players throughout the 2025-26 season and also take a quick look ahead to what the upcoming 2026-27 season may have in store for each player. Tonight’s players are the other Jets defencemen which I’ve not mentioned so far, all of which were regulars or regular depth defencemen in the lineup throughout the season.

Before we begin, the big Jets news of the day was the contract extension announcement for Cole Perfetti. The 24-year old forward was a restricted free agent and was headed for an arbitration hearing, but today Perfetti signed a five-year, $30 million contract to keep him in Winnipeg. Going through the defencemen which I’ve done reviews on already, I’ve only looked at Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo and Elias Salomonsson. While the Jets had to use around ten different defencemen this year, some played limited games, so we’ll be looking at those that appeared in a notable amount of games, starting with Dylan Samberg.

Samberg had perhaps the best season of his career in the 2024-25 season despite missing 22 games, collecting 6 goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 60 games. Entering this season, Samberg was locked into the second defense pairing on the left side alongside Neal Pionk. Both Samberg and Pionk missed some games due to injury, and Samberg had several other defense partners throughout the season. In 66 games, Samberg scored 1 goal and 13 assists for 14 points. It wasn’t the most noteworthy season for Samberg, and he now prepares for year two of his current three year contract with a cap hit of $5.75 million.

Logan Stanley was a rather surprising success story for the Jets in the 2025-26 season. After a step in the right direction in the 2024-25 season, Stanley followed up his 63 game season (the most in a season in his career) with another season as a reliable third pairing defenceman. In 59 games with the Jets, Stanley scored 9 goals and added 12 assists for 21 points. Stanley had 5 straight seasons with just 1 goal, and this season he seemed to find a sudden scoring touch from the blueline. That scoring touch, along with his physical defensive play style, elevated Stanley’s trade value to a point where the Jets sent Stanley to the Sabres at the trade deadline for a rather good return. Jets fans waited over five years for the former 1st rounder to reach some of his potential, so after a successful season in Winnipeg, Stanley fans will be wishing more success for the current unrestricted free agent.

Neal Pionk didn’t have a very good season, as he dealt with a lower-body injury and an undisclosed injury at the end of the season. The 30-year old defenceman never really “caught his stride” this season, and didn’t look as steady as he usually does in his usual second pairing role alongside Dylan Samberg. Pionk has averaged around 35 points per season in his career, but this season in 51 games Pionk had just 3 goals and 9 assists for 12 points. The timing of Pionk’s unsuccessful season is not great, as it was the first year of his new six year contract at $7 million a season. Provided that Pionk is back to full health at the start of the season, Jets fans are confident that Pionk can have a bounce back season, proving that his contract extension was worth it, as he will remain under contract with the Jets until 2031.

Luke Schenn was another defenceman which the Jets traded to the Buffalo Sabres in the Logan Stanley trade. After the Jets acquired Schenn at the 2025 trade deadline from the Predators, the Jets used Schenn as a veteran depth defenceman who provided his leadership and defensive skills in a limited role. This season with the Jets, Schenn started the season as the 6th/7th defenceman, and he found himself in and out of the lineup due to injuries and the emergence of Elias Salomonsson. In 46 games, Schenn scored 1 goal and added 6 assists for 7 points. Schenn was dealt to the Sabres at the trade deadline, where he only played 4 games (and 2 in the playoffs), and he’ll now be on his way to the Vancouver Canucks as he was a unrestricted free agent who signed a new one year deal to continue his long NHL career.

Last but not least is Haydn Fleury, another depth defenceman for the Jets throughout the season. Fleury’s first season with the Jets was the 2024-25 season, where he appeared in 39 games and collected 7 assists while looking comfortable in his role as the “7th defenceman”. This season Fleury started as the 7th or 8th defenceman in the “depth chart”, but his solid played earned him a comfortable spot on the 3rd pairing when there were injuries. Fleury unfortunately suffered a broken nose and a bruised back after crashing into the boards in a game against the Golden Knights, and he missed around two months. In 38 games, Fleury scored 2 goals and added 2 assists for 4 points. Fleury will be back as a valuable depth defenceman with the Jets next season for the second year of his current contract with a cap hit of $950,000.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL Free Agency pushes forward, as teams continue to explore options for improving their rosters. Stay tuned for the final edition of the Jets Nation “year in review” series article coming in a few days! There will be just one article left in this series, as the final article will be on players who were traded mid-season or played in a small amount of games as call-ups throughout the season. Also be sure to look out for the Winnipeg Jets full 2026-27 season schedule release on their socials tomorrow afternoon!

PRESENTED BY PRAIRIE TOYOTA DEALERS

Not enough production from the rest of the forward group: Jets Nation year in review

Connor Baldwin — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 19:15:51 GMT

Follow us on our Jets Nation socials! X/Twitter: @NHLJetsNation and on Instagram: @JetsNationDotCa

Welcome back to the third last edition of the “Jets Nation year in review” series to wrap up and recap the Winnipeg Jets 2025-26 season. This series is getting quite close to its conclusion, as the NHL Draft and the second week of NHL free agency are now complete. I’ll continue to look at the individual seasons from Jets players throughout the 2025-26 season and also take a quick look ahead to what the upcoming 2026-27 season may have in store for each player. This afternoon’s players are the other Jets forwards which I’ve not mentioned so far that were regulars in the lineup throughout the season.

Going through the forwards which I’ve done a review on already, we’ve looked at Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Jonathan Toews, Morgan Barron, and Adam Lowry. The most notable forward which I haven’t mentioned yet is Cole Perfetti, so we’ll start with him and go down in terms of points these players collected in the 2025-26 season for the rest of the Jets regular forwards.

Cole Perfetti’s fourth NHL season was cut short due to an upper body injury. In 68 games, Perfetti scored 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points. Perfetti’s production dipped this season, and part of the reason could have been due to the lack of a true second line forward to replace Nikolaj Ehlers. Perfetti had various linemates throughout the season, and it was tough for him to really get on a roll at any point in the season. Perfetti is now a restricted free agent, and he’ll be headed to arbitration for his next contract, with a previous cap hit of $3.25 million and a career high of 50 points in the 2024-25 season.

Nino Niederreiter was one of several Jets forwards to have a sizeable drop in offensive production in the 2025-26 season. Niederreiter did miss some time due an injury which required surgery, but even before his injury there wasn’t much going well for his game. In 61 games, Niederreiter scored 8 goals and 11 assists for 19 points. Just like Perfetti, Niederreiter shuffled a bit around the lineup, which could have impacted him being able to gain chemistry with his linemates. Sitting on 499 career NHL points, Niederreiter will enter the third and final year of his current contract with the Jets with a cap hit of $4 million.

Cole Koepke was one of the better Jets free agent signings from last July, which isn’t saying much as he played primarily in a 4th line role. Koepke was only playing in his 2nd full NHL season, as the former 6th round pick spent the early part of his career mostly in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch. In 66 games, Koepke scored 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points. Koepke would have been a free agent, but the Jets re-signed Koepke in April to a new two-year deal with a cap hit of $1.45 million.

Vladislav Namestnikov dealt with multiple injuries in the 2025-26 season, and overall had a very unproductive season. After back to back quality seasons with 37 and 38 points, Namestnikov only scored 8 goals and 6 assists for 14 points in 60 games. It’s tough to pinpoint what went wrong in specific, but when you look at the overall lack of depth scoring from the Jets this past season, Namestnikov was just one player who couldn’t replicate his recent success from the last two seasons. The 33-year old forward will be entering the second and final year of his current contract with the Jets at a cap hit of $3 million, and it’s unclear if the Jets will attempt to re-sign him when he becomes a free agent in July 2027.

Tanner Pearson was another short term Jets free agency signing that didn’t work out too well. Pearson was coming off a pretty good season with the Golden Knights, but couldn’t replicate it playing in the Jets bottom six. In 52 games, Pearson scored 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points. Pearson was traded to the Sabres for a 7th round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, but he only played 4 games for the Sabres, collecting 2 assists. Pearson was a healthy scratch in the playoffs, and the now 33-year forward is an unrestricted free agent, as he hopes to get another contract to continue his NHL career.

The final player for this Jets Nation year in review is another free agency signing “gone wrong” for the Jets: Gustav Nyquist. After a very surprising 75 point season with the Nashville Predators in the 2023-24 season, Nyquist cooled off with the Predators and Wild last season. This season the Jets were hoping for Nyquist to be a depth scoring option on the 3rd line, but that didn’t happen. Nyquist struggled throughout the season, at times being a healthy scratch, and in 51 games Nyquist only scored 1 goal and 11 assists for 12 points. The $3.25 million cap hit didn’t pay off for the Jets, and now the 36-year old forward is in the same position as Pearson as he’s currently an unrestricted free agent looking to find another contract to continue his NHL career.

Up Next

The 2026 NHL Free Agency continues on, as teams explore options for improving their rosters. Stay tuned for the next edition of the Jets Nation “year in review” series article coming in a few days! There will be just two articles left in this series, as I’ll be recapping the remaining defencemen and a final article on players who were traded mid-season or played in a small amount of games as call-ups throughout the season.