While Winnipeg’s top line continues to shine, the team’s veteran additions are struggling to generate offense with advanced stats showing concerning trends.
Off the heels of two straight victories, the Winnipeg Jets look to stay the course as they look to redeem themselves for their second round exit last season that underscored what was a histroic season for the franchise, highlighted by a President's trophy win.
The Jets showed again to start the season that their star players are ready for whatever challenge presents itself as top line forwards Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele have a combined six goals to start the season while some surprising depth pieces have contributed immensely like fourth line center Morgan Barron, who has a pair of goals to start the season after battling to retain his roster spot in preseason and training camp. Some players worth taking a longer look into are are experiencing a slower start to the season and that begins with Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist and Vladislav Namestnikov.
Toews Earns First Point with Winnipeg as Jets Beat Islanders
The Winnipeg Jets have strung together back-to-back wins for the first time in the 2025-26 NHL season.
Jonathan Toews
The three-time Stanley Cup champion was the Jets’ biggest offseason headline and the most high-profile free-agent signing in franchise history. At 37, many questioned whether Jonathan Toews could still compete effectively at the NHL level. So far, he’s recorded just one point, that came on the power play, and holds a surprising -1 rating, unusual for one of the most accomplished two-way centers of his generation.
One bright spot has been his dominance in the faceoff circle, where he’s winning 62.3 per cent of draws. However, with ice time ranging from 15 to 19 minutes per game, the Jets are expecting more production from him. According to MoneyPuck, Toews’ line with Alex Iafallo and rookie Nikita Chibrikov has yet to score a goal at even strength and has allowed one against.
Advanced metrics paint a more encouraging picture as Toews registered five speed bursts over 20 mph, placing him in the 62nd percentile league-wide, and ranks in the 71st percentile for total skating distance at 8.29 miles this season. While the traditional stats haven’t caught up yet, the underlying numbers suggest Toews is still capable of contributing at a high level. If he can improve his even-strength and defensive play, his plus-minus and overall impact should follow.
Jets Bring Up Kale Clague as Insurance Following Injury to Haydn Fleury
On Saturday afternoon, Winnipeg Jets defenceman Haydn Fleury suffered a lower body injury after blocking a shot from Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe.
Gustav Nyquist
Once a 75-point scorer, Nyquist joined the Jets hoping to put his career-worst season behind him. Unfortunately, his scoring drought has continued in Winnipeg. Like fellow 37-year-old Jonathan Toews, Nyquist has yet to find the back of the net. He’s managed just a single power-play point and none at even strength. With a -2 rating, only five shots on goal, and an average ice time of 13:13, his slow start has reduced his role. Originally projected to play on the second line alongside Toews and Chibrikov, Nyquist has since been moved down to the third line, skating with another struggling veteran, Vladislav Namestnikov.
The Jets have relied heavily on their stars and fourth-line contributors like Tanner Pearson and Morgan Barron for offense, but production from the middle six remains a concern if they hope to compete with elite teams. Nyquist was expected to be a key part of that group, especially as the roster replacement for top-six winger Nikolaj Ehlers.
Statistically, Nyquist has fallen below league averages in nearly every category tracked by NHL Edge. His lone bright spot is his offensive zone time at 46.7 per cent, ranking in the 83rd percentile. Beyond that, the numbers are less encouraging with just one recorded speed burst over 20 miles per hour compared to the 4.4 league average, a total skating distance of 6.26 miles (below the 6.82 average), and an average shot speed of 53.49 mph, again below the league’s 54.84 mark. For Nyquist to justify his signing and help Winnipeg contend, he’ll need to pick up his skating pace, become more engaged in the play, and start contributing offensively soon.
NHL Insider Reports Jets' Connor Extension Was Group Decision Between Cheveldayoff, Leadership Group
Insider reports suggest the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets">Winnipeg Jets</a>’ decision to re-sign Kyle Connor came after a group discussion between GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and the team’s leadership group, who agreed he was essential to their success.
Vladislav Namestnikov
In what was supposed to be an encouraging season for Namestnikov as he is falling back to the third line center role with top six experience on a President's trophy winning team last season, yet he has played the first three games and hasn't recorded a point.
The expectation was that he would improve his numbers this season, benefiting from easier matchups against opposing third and fourth lines. However, the 32-year-old has yet to register a point. Although he’s averaging 16:04 of ice time, he still hasn’t recorded a shot on goal and carries a -1 rating so far with his underlying stats also disparaging.
Key metrics such as speed bursts over 20 mph, total skating distance, and average shot speed all rank below the league’s 50th percentile. Even more concerning is his offensive zone time, which sits at just 46.9 percent, well under the league average of 60.4 percent, indicating he’s spending significantly more time in the defensive zone.
Like Nyquist, Namestnikov must start capitalizing on his ice time soon, or the Jets risk continued struggles. If these trends persist, it could prompt GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to consider further changes to the forward group down the line.
Former Jets First-Rounder Signs with Edmonton Oilers
<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets">Winnipeg Jets</a>' 2015 first round pick in Jack Roslovic signed with the Edmonton mid-game on Wednesday as they Oilers were playing in the Battle of Alberta with the Calgary Flames.