NHL GM Believes Winnipeg Jets Will Make The Playoffs

The Winnipeg Jets are beginning to climb out of the league’s basement, currently holding the second-worst record at 19-22-6. Much of their struggles have stemmed from a lack of depth scoring and injuries to key players.

As secondary scoring has started to show up and the team waits for more of its defensemen to return to full health, the Jets now sit just seven points out of a wild card spot. One NHL general manager believes Winnipeg is poised for a significant turnaround.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman discussed the Jets’ recent resurgence on his 32 Thoughts podcast Monday, highlighting their 4-1-2 record over the past seven games. By collecting points in six of those contests, Winnipeg has moved back within reach of a playoff position. Friedman noted that an unnamed NHL GM told him he believes the Jets will ultimately reach the postseason.

"Hellebuyck stays healthy, they make a run, they get in," Friedman quoted the GM as saying, a strong endorsement given how difficult the season has been for Winnipeg. Following the additions of older veterans such as Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist, many questioned GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s approach, arguing the team needed more youth and speed rather than aging players.

The loss of offensive production after moving on from top-six winger Nikolaj Ehlers, along with Mason Appleton, who had long been part of a high-chemistry line with Adam Lowry and Nino Niederreiter, forced the Jets to try and rebuild two forward lines simultaneously.

Early in the season, the results were disastrous as a prolonged offensive slump and lack of cohesion caused nearly the entire forward group to stall, with production coming almost exclusively from the top line of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi.

Eventually, through line juggling and continued adjustments, the Jets began to find their rhythm. Since the start of the new year, Winnipeg has scored the fourth-most goals in the NHL with 36 over nine games.

If they can maintain that pace, the pressure on the offense should ease considerably. Earlier in the season, the defense had been carrying the team, grinding games down to low-scoring affairs before eventually breaking and leading to losses.

With the offense now producing consistently, league executives beyond the one cited by Friedman may be taking notice and starting to worry that the Jets are once again positioned to make a serious run.

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