Two Key Differences Crushing Jets Season

The Winnipeg Jets lost to the Edmonton Oilers 6-2 in a recent contest, being utterly embarrassed in the process. The loss dropped them six points back of one of the top three spots in the Central Division and two points behind the pace for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

The loss was a microcosm of the Jets' season so far. The team is struggling to keep pace in the Western Conference, and with the injury to starting goalie Connor Hellebuyck, the problem can't be ignored any longer. The lack of depth in Winnipeg is crushing their season and hopes of following up on an incredible 2024-2025 campaign.

No Scoring Depth

It was the same problem against the Oilers. The top forward trio of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Gabe Villardi combined for one of their tallies. Aside from them, they received a rare, unassisted goal from depth player Cole Koepka.

That's the story in Winnipeg. Its top trio does all the scoring, and the rest of their offensive lineup provides semi-occasional production. Just look at their scoring leaders this season. Scheifele leads the team with 36 points in 28 games, followed by Connor with 15 goals and 35 points and Vilardi with 25 points in 28 contests.

Their next leading scorer on offense is veteran winger Nino Neiderreiter. The 33-year-old winger has six goals and 15 points in 28 games. After that, it's a bunch of players who were expected to produce more. Alex Iafallo has just nine points in 28 games. So does marquee free-agent addition Jonathan Toews, who was brought in to stabilize their second line for a Stanley Cup run.

Hockey player passes the puc — Dec 1, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) skates with the puck and looks to make a pass during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images | Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Maybe It Was Goaltending All Along

The defensive makeup in Winnipeg is largely the same as it was last year, with one key difference. That difference is Hellebuyck's health. The 32-year-old has been out for nearly a month, and in that time, the team has nearly collapsed. The back-to-back Vezina Trophy winner was off to a slightly worse start than usual, but there's been a tangible drop-off in performance in net and wins since Hellebuyck went down.

In his place is steady veteran puck-stopper Eric Comrie. He's played in all but three of the contests since the starter went down, going 3-5-1 in that span. Comrie's season record and statistics aren't much better, with a 6-6-1 record, a 3.08 goals-against average, and an 898 save percentage.

Behind him is 22-year-old Thomas Milic, the organization's fifth-round pick in 2023. He's started a single game, making 30 saves in a losing effort. He's also come on twice in relief of Comrie, allowing four goals on 28 shots in those appearances.

There are two significant differences between last year's Presidents' Trophy and this season's squad. They lack scoring depth, and their star goalie is on the shelf. Those two key changes are crushing their season and pushing them out of the Western Conference playoff race.

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