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Winnipeg fast-tracks the future as top prospects Brayden Yager and Colby Barlow headline a four-game exhibition slate against Western Conference rivals Edmonton and Colorado this September.

While the ink is barely dry on the 2025-26 season, the Winnipeg Jets are already looking ahead.

The Jets announced their 2026-27 pre-season schedule on Wednesday, revealing four games slated for late September against a pair of familiar Western Conference foes, the Edmonton Oilers and the Colorado Avalanche.

The slate opens on the road on Sept. 19 against the Oilers before returning home to Canada Life Centre for back-to-back games against the Avalanche and Oilers on Sept. 21 and Sept. 22, respectively. The pre-season wraps up with a road tilt in Colorado on Sept. 25.

Pre-Season Schedule:

Sept. 19 — Jets at Oilers, 7 p.m. CT

Sept. 21 — Jets vs. Avalanche, 7 p.m. CT

Sept. 22 — Jets vs. Oilers, 7 p.m. CT

Sept. 25 — Jets at Avalanche, 7:30 p.m. CT

Don't expect to see the likes of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor or Connor Hellebuyck logging big minutes in these contests. Instead, fans should set their eyes on the future, as these games figure to be a showcase for the next wave of Jets talent.

Top prospects Brayden Yager and Colby Barlow headline what promises to be an exciting group of young players competing for roster spots and opportunity, and whoever Winnipeg selects with the eighth overall pick at next week's NHL Draft could very well be suiting up alongside them come September.

For Jets fans, these pre-season tilts offer a rare and tantalizing glimpse at the organization's pipeline, the players who will carry the torch long after the current core has had its run. The full 2026-27 regular season schedule for the Jets is expected to be released sometime in July.

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