Prove. The act of demonstrating the truth or existence of something by evidence or argument. This word has always been interesting to me when it comes to talking about players on an NHL team, because it can mean different things to different people. Some people might say, oh, they’re professional hockey players, they don’t need to prove anything anymore. Other people have the viewpoint that the word “prove” correlates with their own expectations of a given player. I’m a bit of both of these, and here are the 3 Jets players who have the most to prove in the 2024-25 season.

A common thread of these 3 players I am about to mention is that they were all former 1st round picks. Whether that’s a coincidence or not, being a 1st round pick in any draft year comes with higher expectations. Some teams seem to be able to draft better than others, but each team has multiple success and failure stories for their former 1st round picks, including the Winnipeg Jets.

1st up is Cole Perfetti. Among the 3 players, I’ll admit that he has the least to prove of the 3, but that doesn’t let him quite off the hook. I also have to say that Perfetti should not be limited this year in terms of getting big opportunities. He might not be on the top line, but a top 6 role is what Perfetti should begin to settle in this season. Regardless on his upcoming contract, which he will sign any time now, the expectations will still be that Perfetti improves on his 2nd full pro season. The 1st half of last season Perfetti looked great, but the 2nd half of the season saw less results and affected him after an injury. I got my faith in Perfetti still, but if he wants to prove himself in the top 6, he’ll need to put up close to 50 points to show that his development is trending in the right direction.

Ville Heinola is next on my radar for a defence that needs to start proving himself in the 2024-25 season. Part of Heinola’s development has been unfortunately out of his control, whether it’s injuries or just not getting the opportunity that he appears to have earned. The 23-year old Finnish defence has spent enough time in the AHL at this point, and he should be ready to prove himself as a near-everyday defender. My expectations for Heinola are hard to pinpoint or describe, I really just think that it’s time he gets the opporunity he deserves to show himself as an NHLer.

Before getting to the player that I think has the most to prove overall, I have to give an honorable mention to Vladislav Namestnikov. This is a guy who has played on a whole bunch of teams up to this point in career, but he seems to be settling in with the Jets after last season. His 37 points was his 2nd highest in his career. Looking at the Jets projected lineup, Namestnikov has to prove that he can be the 2nd line centre. Unless another move is made before the season, Namestnikov appears to be a part of the top 6, which I’m not sure he can handle, at least right away. Time will tell, but Namestnikov should be ready to go out and show that he can handle that elevated role.

That brings me to Logan Stanley, who might just be the player that has the most to prove in the upcoming season. I’ve mentioned this before in some of my previous articles, but this season really seems to be the “make it or break it” year for Stanley. Unlike Heinola, Stanley has gotten plenty of chances to prove that he can be an everyday NHL player. He’s had some injuries and he’s been the “extra” guy as well, but the last 4 seasons Stanley has remained on this Jets NHL roster. We know by now he’s very likely not going to live up to his 1st round potential, but he still has to show that he can be a solid shutdown defenceman. You can’t forget that Stanley is one of the tallest players in the league, so once he learns how to use his size effectively, it’ll take him a long way in his development. Like I said, it’s probably the last chance for Stanley with Heinola and other defence prospects on their way, so let’s see what the Stanimal can do this season.

Any surprises? Anyone who I should have mentioned? There might be a few more Jets who need to prove themselves in the upcoming season, but these 3 players will be on the radar for most Jets fans. We’re now just 68 days until hockey season begins.