In the 2024-25 season, the Winnipeg Jets won the President’s Trophy, finishing atop the regular-season standings with 116 points. However, the Jets were nowhere near as successful this time around, squarely eliminated from playoff contention with only 86 points.
Winnipeg could always make a comeback, having the league’s best goalie in Connor Hellebuyck, but the netminder’s eyebrow-raising exit interview has raised questions about where the team stands going into the offseason.
Chris Johnston Speaks Up About Winnipeg Jets’ Future After Connor Hellebuyck’s Unfiltered Rant
The Jets have a few star players, Hellebuyck, Josh Morrissey, Mark Scheifele, and Kyle Connor, who constitute the core of the group. Beyond that, however, Winnipeg seriously lacks depth. To make matters worse, the franchise is certainly not at the top of any UFA’s list. The only way the Jets could hope to welcome elite talent is through the draft. But Hellebuyck’s disillusionment makes it difficult to be optimistic about the team’s future.
The former Hart Trophy winner raised several questions during his exit interview, particularly around management’s ability to assemble a team that could lift the Stanley Cup one day. “Can you get the pieces that you need? Will the players come? These are always questions that you have in Winnipeg. I’ve made it my home and I like it here, but the majority of the league doesn’t feel the same way,” the netminder ranted.
However, despite the nightmare season, Chris Johnston believes the Jets certainly do not have a rebuild in mind. “My sense is the Jets don’t want to step back, you know, they don’t want to be a team that rebuilds or anything like that right now,” Johnston stated on the subject, appearing on “First Up with Korolnek & Colaiacovo.”
A goaltender of Hellebuyck’s stature is deserving of a Stanley Cup, but given the Jets’ current state, the 32-year-old doesn’t quite see the possibility of winning one anytime soon. The veteran goalie, in his own words, only plays hockey for the sake of winning, but the Winnipeg front office has been far from successful in crafting a team that could aid Hellebuyck in his mission.
Johnston further believes that Hellebucyk’s position is comparable to Auston Matthews’. Both are elite players whose teams failed to leave their mark on this season, and thus, it is natural for them to share a sense of disappointment. “I view him a little bit like a Matthews. He is getting impatient, knowing he doesn’t have forever to win and wants to be part of a winning team,” Johnston noted.
It is also pertinent to note that the Jets are the league’s oldest team, with the average age of players being 30.7. Winnipeg is also notorious for taking longer than other teams before introducing drafted players to the roster. If not a rebuild, the Jets could begin their comeback by introducing minor changes to their roster-management approach.
