With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the Winnipeg Jets.
Last Season: 40-35-7 record (87 points), fifth in Central Division (missed the playoffs)
Remaining Cap Space: $7.39MM per CapFriendly
Key Newcomers: F Matt Hendricks (free agency, Edmonton), D Dmitry Kulikov (free agency, Buffalo), G Steve Mason (free agency, Philadelphia)
Key Departures: G Ondrej Pavelec (free agency, NY Rangers), D Paul Postma (free agency, Boston) D Mark Stuart (buyout, unsigned), F Chris Thorburn (expansion)
[Related: Jets Depth Chart From Roster Resource]
Player To Watch: F Bryan Little – Little has been with the Jets/Thrashers organization for his entire 10-year career and, when healthy, has continued to be a productive center. However, staying healthy has proven to be a challenge lately as he has missed 23, 25, and 12 games over the past three seasons.
Little is also entering the final year of his contract. Centers are in extremely high demand right now which will give him plenty of leverage in extension talks as he’s likely to get a raise from his $4.7MM cap hit (and $5MM salary) this season. With Mark Scheifele entrenched as the top option down the middle, his $6.125MM cap hit is the likely ceiling for how high the team would be willing to pay to keep Little around.
The team also has several prominent young restricted free agents to re-sign in defensemen Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey as well as forwards Nikolaj Ehlers and Joel Armia. While they have lots of cap space next year to work with, Winnipeg isn’t typically a cap-spending team. As a result, Little could potentially be the one to feel the squeeze.
If Winnipeg doesn’t get off to a strong start and finds themselves out of the playoff race near the trade deadline, Little is going to be someone that a lot of teams will be trying to add as a rental player in February while teams will be lining up for him in July if he makes it to the open market.
Key Storyline: To put it lightly, goaltending was not a strength for the Jets last season. Winnipeg’s netminders compiled just a .900 SV% last season which isn’t going to cut it on a team that has any sort of playoff aspirations.
To that end, the team brought in Mason from the Flyers who isn’t exactly coming off of a stellar season himself where he posted a 2.68 GAA and a .908 SV%. Will he be able to play up to the level of a legitimate starting goalie in 2017-18?
Although Connor Hellebuyck had a rough year, the team will be expecting him to rebound as well and considering he’s on a one-year ‘bridge’ deal, he will be plenty motivated to do so. Michael Hutchinson is still around as well so the team will need to decide whether to keep three goalies around or try to waive or trade him during training camp.
Goaltending was a big factor in their lack of success in 2016-17 and that position is certainly shaping up to make or break their fortunes this coming season as well.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Good write up. Goaltending is still the biggest question, and I don’t think Mason is the answer myself. But we shall see.
Also Kulikov was in Buffalo last year (sadly) not Florida