The Winnipeg Jets of 2025-26 are not the same team that saw a fourth-place finish in 2023-24 and a Presidents’ Trophy in 2024-25.
This season’s edition is 12-10-0 on the year through its first 22 games and is sitting outside the playoff picture for the first time in a couple years.
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Oddly enough, the makeup of the team really isn’t all that different from last season’s squad either.
The biggest loss for the Jets was that of top forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who chose to sign with Carolina in the offseason.
Photo by Geoff Burke/USA TodayÂ
He was replaced by a trio of  veteran players: Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist and Tanner Pearson – all of whom have seemingly failed to live up to their expected hype thus far.
Toews, the most prominent name and rightly so in making his return to hockey while playing for his hometown team, has just three goals and eight points in his 22 games this season. But the kicker is his plus/minus. He is currently sitting at -12 on the year, and has been a -1 each of the last six games, to which he also has no points.
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No, fans were not expecting the 2010 version of the now three-time Stanley Cup champion, but his play on the ice has been more troublesome and gasp-inducing than awe-inspiring.
It’s not just Toews either. He is actually producing the most out of all Ehlers’ replacements.
Nyquist, who is just one year younger than Toews, has just six assists in 17 games and has yet to score his first goal of the year.
Pearson, 33, has three goals and four points in 20 games. He has also served as a healthy scratch twice.
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For the most part, Winnipeg’s offence has come from its first line and first defence pairing. Josh Morrissey continues to deliver Norris caliber play and numbers. Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi are just so good together that some are even considering splitting up the trio to provide a spark elsewhere in the lineup. Not sure who would think that separating the Jets’ lone reliable line would be a smart decision, but it has been making its rounds on social media.
Winnipeg has hit 10 losses in 22 games. Last season, it took the Jets 12 more games to reach that 10th loss (which includes overtime and shootout losses as well).
This year’s team is older and slower than past instances.
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Bringing in three 33+ year-old replacements will do that to an already aging lineup.
Right now, the Jets sit 32nd in the league with an average age of 30 years and 238 days. So, the team is almost 31-years-old on average – which is worst in the league.
The assignment of Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov and Parker Ford to the AHL certainly contributed to this older number. While gaining Cole Perfetti, Adam Lowry and Dylan Samberg back from the injured reserve has not provided the added boost that most were hoping for.
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Making matters worse, through 22 games, Winnipeg is the slowest team in the league. Losing Rasmus Kupari – who held many Jets speed records throughout the past couple seasons – has hurt the club more than it expected.
Alongside its age, the Jets also sit dead last in 18-20 MPH speed bursts and 20-22 MPH speed bursts (NHL Edge advanced statistics).
It is a slow team that seems to be slowing down as the season progresses.
The Jets kicked off their five-game road trip with a 4-3 loss to Washington. All three goals came from the top line. Winnipeg now has just three wins in its last 10 games played and remains three points out of the postseason with four teams to overtake en route to the playoffs.
If it follows the pattern of its recent six-game Western Conference road trip, things could get ugly in the ‘Peg, and fast.