Unfortunately, Pionk took a big step back this season and struggled to stay healthy, posting just 12 points (three goals and nine assists) for his lowest-career single-season point total while missing 31 games with various injuries. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s still plenty of time for the contract to turn out at least alright in the long run, but this season raises the level of concern that it could age like milk.<\/p>\n
4: Vladislav Namestnikov<\/p>\n
Namestnikov had been a reliable and versatile secondary contributor for the Jets since being acquired in 2023, but his offensive production fell off a cliff this season. One of many underperforming veterans responsible for the lack of secondary scoring that plagued the Jets all season long, he posted just eight goals and six assists for 14 points in 60 games, way down from the 38 points he recorded last season and the 37 he recorded in 2023-24.<\/p>\n
![\"Vladislav](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Vladislav-Namestnikov-Jets-1200x801.jpg\")
Winnipeg Jets centre Vladislav Namestnikov (Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
His season ended with a whimper as he missed 21 of the Jets\u2019 final 24 games with a lower-body injury.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s possible that age has simply caught up to the 33 year old and he is now on an irreversible downward trajectory. His contract, which runs through next season and carries a $3 million cap hit, may be best moved off the books this offseason via trade or buyout.<\/p>\n
3: Connor Hellebuyck<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no denying Connor Hellebuyck\u2019s game declined sharply after he captured his third Vezina Trophy and became the first goaltender since 2015 to win the Hart Memorial Trophy<\/a> last season.<\/p>\n He truly never looked very comfortable or \u201cbig and boring\u201d in his crease for any long stretch, and having to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery didn\u2019t help matters either.<\/p>\n His record was 23-23-11, his goals against average (GAA) jumped all the way to 2.86 from 2.00, his save percentage (SV%) fell to a career-worst .895 from .925, and he posted zero shutouts compared to eight.<\/p>\n By comparison, backup Eric Comrie, who makes one-tenth of the money, had a 3.13 GAA and .890 SV%.<\/p>\n The only time Hellebuyck looked close to his 2024-25 self was at the 2026 Winter Olympics<\/a>, where he backstopped the United States squad to their first gold medal since 1980 by posting a 5-0-0 record,\u00a01.18 GAA, .956 SV%, and stopping 5.92 goals above expected.<\/p>\n In the gold-medal game, he was simply outstanding, making 41 saves \u2014 many of the 10-bell variety \u2014 and even snagging the secondary assist on Jack Hughes\u2019 overtime golden goal.<\/p>\n Jets fans, the vast majority undoubtedly cheering for Canada, were probably a little frustrated after watching the legacy-making performance and wondering: where was\u00a0that\u00a0Hellebuyck this season for their team and in the past few playoffs?<\/p>\n 2: Gustav Nyquist<\/p>\n Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff may have never wasted money more completely than he wasted $3.25 million on Nyquist.<\/p>\n Another veteran who appears to be in a steep and irreversible decline, the 36 year old posted one goal and 11 assists for 12 points did not score his lone goal until March. He was a semi-frequent healthy scratch from December onward, and when he did get into head coach Scott Arniel\u2019s lineup, it was generally in a bottom-six role.<\/p>\n Signing Nyquist \u2014 who was just two seasons removed from a 23-goal, 75 point campaign with the Nashville Predators \u2014 to a one-year deal seemed like a\u00a0smart stop-gap solution\u00a0for the middle six that would mitigate the loss of Nikolaj Ehlers\u2019 production, but the Swede\u2019s tenure as a Jet was nothing short of laughably bad.<\/p>\n 1: Jonathan Toews<\/p>\n When you talk about Cheveldayoff wasting money, the failed Toews experiment cannot be ignored.<\/p>\n The signing of hometown talent Toews was perhaps the most-highly hyped in Jets 2.0 history \u2014 even garnering a summer press conference to announce it \u2014 but wasn\u2019t nearly worth all the buzz.<\/p>\n The 38 year old, after two years off due to health reasons, was not close to the player he was in his prime when he captained the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups. He played in all 82 games, but it was an example of quantity over quality; while he had a few good moments and seemed to be well liked in the locker room, he was generally not even above replacement level and completely disappeared for long stretches. <\/p>\n In his exit interview<\/a>, he admitted he \u201cstruggled\u201d with the speed of the game and \u201cplaying with energy every night,\u201d adding later that he \u201cwasn\u2019t anywhere close\u201d to meeting his own expectations.<\/p>\n Toews\u2019 lucrative bonus structure, which paid an additional $550,000 on top of his base $2 million salary when he reached the 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-, and 60-game marks, saw him rake in a cool $4.75 million in exchange for 29 points of production, or $163,793.10 per point.<\/p>\n This writer warned last June<\/a> after the signing was officially announced that it had a high chance of not working out. History shows this writer also raised concerns about the lack of performance- or points-based bonuses in the deal and whether the Jets would get good value for their money. They didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n For reference as to how poorly this money was spent, here are numbers for some other players around the NHL who make around $5 million annually:<\/p>\n Noah Cates (Philadelphia Flyers, $4 million) \u2014 47 points<\/p>\n Andrew Copp (Detroit Red Wings, $5.65 million) \u2014 43 points<\/p>\n Christian Dvorak (Montreal Canadiens, $5.15 million) \u2014 51 points<\/p>\n Jordan Eberle (Seattle Kraken, $5.5 million) \u2014 55 points<\/p>\n Jared McCann (Kraken, $5 million annually) \u2014 40 points<\/p>\n Toews said he would take a few weeks to reflect on whether he wants to continue playing, and that if he did, he\u2019d only want to play for Winnipeg.<\/p>\n However, any internal talk of re-signing him, even if to a league-minimum deal with no incentives, should be nipped in the bud immediately.<\/p>\n Other Disappointing Jets<\/p>\n Nino Niederreiter: Saw his production drop to 19 points in 61 games this season from 37 points in 82 games the season prior. He also put himself ahead of the team when he decided to play through a nagging knee injury rather than get surgery last offseason, justifying that getting surgery could cause him to miss playing in his 1,000th-career NHL game<\/a> or from representing Switzerland in the Olympics. <\/p>\n He ended up meeting those milestones, then having the surgery after the Olympics, causing him to miss 20 games down the stretch when the Jets were battling for a Western Conference wild-card spot.<\/p>\n Adam Lowry: Saw his production drop to 21 points in 70 games this season from 34 points in 73 games the season prior. Even though he returned in November from offseason hip surgery<\/a>, he did not look comfortable for a number of weeks after and admitted in his exit interview<\/a> he may have returned too quickly and should have spent more time building up his strength.<\/p>\n Cole Perfetti: Saw his production drop to 32 points in 68 games from 50 points in 82 games the season prior. Even though he returned in November from a high-ankle sprain suffered in preseason<\/a>, he did not look comfortable until February and admitted in his exit interview<\/a> he came back from injury too early.<\/p>\n Free Newsletter<\/p>\n \n Get Jets Goaltending coverage delivered to your inbox <\/p>\n In-depth analysis, breaking news, and insider takes – free.<\/p>\n![\"Jonathan](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jonathan-Toews-Jets-5-1200x900.jpg\")
Jonathan Toews, Winnipeg Jets (Amy Irvin<\/a> \/ The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n