In the fast-approaching 2026-27 season, the Winnipeg Jets will look to rebound after regressing by 21 wins from 2024-25 and missing the playoffs. They enter the season with a number of established stars on their roster, but also with a number question marks: how much impact will the young players they are depending on to take steps forward make? How many of their veterans will bounce back from down seasons? Will their number-one goalie still be a member of the team by the start of the regular season?
If plenty of things go as hoped, the Jets could return to the postseason in a wild-card spot, but if plenty of things go wrong, they could fail to qualify for the second-straight campaign and may need a more fulsome rebuild. Here, we’ll explore the Jets’ best- and worst-case scenarios for 2026-27.
Best-Case Scenario: Youth Movement Complements Core, Special Teams Improve, & Jets Return to the Playoffs
The Jets still have a strong core of established stars — Kyle Connor, Connor Hellebuyck, Josh Morrissey, Mark Scheifele, and Gabriel Vilardi, and others — who have long track records of consistent success. However, they will attempt to incorporate a number of younger players — Brad Lambert, Isak Rosen, Elias Salomonsson, and most likely 2026 eighth-overall pick Viggo Bjorck — who aren’t as known of commodities.
The Jets will look to rebound in 2026-27. (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)
In a best-case scenario, Lambert, Rosen, and Salomonsson will all take steps forward in what appears will be each player’s first full NHL season, and the 18-year-old Bjorck will prove to be capable of immediately being the second-line centre the Jets have been searching for for a number of seasons.
A best-case scenario would include bounce-back seasons from all or most of Adam Lowry, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nino Niederreiter, Cole Perfetti, and Neal Pionk, who all performed below expectations last season for one reason or another. Perfetti, who has a fresh five-year extension in his back pocket, in particular would produce 50-plus points in a best-case scenario after dropping to 34 last season.
On the blue line, the best-case scenario would be that the defensive core — led by Morrissey but also featuring Dylan DeMelo, Dylan Samberg, and Pionk on the top four — can get back to playing in the stingy fashion they did in 2024-25, when they were key in making life easy for their goaltenders and helped the team capture its second-straight William M. Jennings Trophy. In this scenario, free-agent addition Mario Ferraro and Salomonsson also play well together to give the Jets an improved third pairing.
In goal, a best-case scenario would see Hellebuyck stay with the team despite all the trade rumours that have circulated. Just as importantly, it would see him recapture his 2024-25 form, where he captured his third Vezina Trophy and became the first goaltender in a decade to capture the Hart Trophy. In the event Hellebuyck is traded, a best-case scenario would see free-agent addition Stuart Skinner (and/or whatever goalie the Jets get as part of the trade return, if they get one) perform well enough to consistently give the team a chance to win.
On special teams, a best-case scenario would see the Jets finish in the top half of the league on the power play and penalty kill after they regressed to 24th (18.50 per cent) on the man advantage and 21st (77.63 per cent) on the penalty kill from first and 13th in 2024-25.
Team wide, a best-case scenario would see the Jets play with much more speed than last season, when their now-departed veteran additions made them too old and too slow to keep up with high-octane young clubs. Additionally, the Jets would stay relatively healthy with no major injuries to their stars.
While even in a best-case scenario it doesn’t seem the Jets would be likely to finish top three in the Central Division over the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and potentially even the Utah Mammoth, they would make the playoffs in the first Western Conference wild-card spot.
Worst-Case Scenario: Youth Has Limited Impact, Goaltending Unravels, Jets Miss Playoffs Again
On the flip side, there are a lot of things that could lead to the Jets missing the playoffs again and in a position next spring that they need to consider a larger-scale rebuild and/or front office changes.
A worst-case scenario would see the young players fail to take steps forward to becoming consistent NHL producers. If Bjorck cannot keep up with the NHL pace yet and needs some time with the Manitoba Moose, the Jets will likely lack a viable second-line centre once again. Similarly, if Perfetti and the veterans perform poorly as they did last season and the Jets once again have to rely on the top line to produce the lion’s share of the offence, they won’t be very successful.
On special teams, a worst-case scenario would see the power play and penalty kill not improve their numbers or regress even further.
A worst-case scenario in goal would see situation unravel, and there’s a couple of ways it could. Hellebuyck, if remaining with the team, could struggle as he did last season or get injured, as he also did last season. Alternatively, if he’s traded, a worst-case scenario would be the Jets’ goalie tandem, whoever it’s made up of, not being able to pick up the slack.
The Jets’ biggest question marks revolve around Connor Hellebuyck. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
A worst-case scenario would include long-term injuries to stars such as Connor, Morrissey, or Scheifele.
Jets Are a Toss Up as Questions Remain
Professional hockey is not played on paper and sometimes the unexpected can happen. As we can see, the Jets have a number of strengths and a lot that could go well as a result, but also have big question marks that could lead to things going badly.
Ultimately, the Jets’ season will likely land in the middle of our two scenarios, with some things going smoothly and other things not. No one has clear skies for an entire season, and that’ll be more true than ever with the calendar expanded to 84 games. Time will ultimately tell whether the Jets will be able to enter a new era of success or continue to struggle.
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