Early Fantasy Hockey projections spotlight Cole Perfetti’s breakout potential, questions around Gustav Nyquist, and Connor Hellebuyck’s top goalie status.

The Fantasy Hockey season is underway on several platforms, including Yahoo Sports, which has released its early player rankings ahead of draft season along with projections for the upcoming year. Some players are listed at great value, while others appear to be placed too high and may be worth avoiding based on their current rankings. Fantasy Hockey remains one of the most enjoyable parts of the sport, giving fans the chance to build teams featuring their favorite players from either their home team or across the league, all competing for Fantasy glory.

Several of the Winnipeg Jets’ top players appear in intriguing spots within the rankings. Some projections seem to significantly underestimate their potential, while others suggest that a down year may be expected. Here, we explore some of the most compelling storylines emerging from the earliest phase of the Fantasy season.

Divisional Focus: Jets Look For Redemption When Battling Stars  The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/winnipeg-jets">Jets </a>aim to win four crucial divisional games over the Dallas Stars next season

Nyquist Won't Make Up For Ehlers Departure

One of the ongoing storylines this offseason has been if the Jets will be able to make up the lost 60-point production provide by Ehlers in the top six forwards. The quick answer to the problem was bringing in veteran Gustav Nyquist, who is coming off a career-worst year with 28 points. Now 35, the Swedish winger is expected to turn back the clock to a season prior in 2023-24 when he posted a career-high 75 points. Many wondered if we will see the older veteran continue his decline or if we will see a bounce back season. The early projections at Yahoo have Nyquist having a slightly better but still disappointing season with just nine expected goals and 22 assists for 31 points.

If this happens, will the Jets look to capitalize on a younger player by putting them in a prime spot, similar to how the Edmonton Oilers plan to slot top prospect Isaac Howard alongside Connor McDavid on their top line? Could this lead to more oppurtunites for promising prospects like Brad Lambert or Nikita Chibrikov? Only time will tell what the answers to these questions will be but from the early expectations, the Jets should be preparing a backup plan for Nyquist.

Hellebuyck Remains Top Goalie

The back-to-back Vezina trophy winner is once again the league's top ranked goalie with his stock being so high that he is ranked within the first eight picks of the draft. After providing another dominant season for the Jets, will the reigning league MVP be able to do it again?

All good things must come to an end but with no changes on the Jets blueline that has been the league's best for two straight seasons, it appears he will be in a favourable position to repeat as a top goalie. His projections for the season are 43 wins, 139 goals against, 1681 saves with six shutouts.

Cole Perfetti: Breakout Pick?

With offence being the biggest question mark heading into the season, especially following the departure of top-six winger Nikolaj Ehlers and only modest additions like Gustav Nyquist and Tanner Pearson, Perfetti has a real opportunity to emerge as a key contributor. He is likely to play alongside veteran Nyquist, who is coming off the worst season of his career, and newly acquired Jonathan Toews, whose consistent production should help stabilize the line.

Winnipeg's Cole Perfetti Poised For Breakout Season in 2025 Winnipeg Jets winger Cole Perfetti has the makings to produce a breakout season with new line additions and more minutes expected.

Perfetti gained national attention with a dramatic Game 7 goal against St. Louis and finished last season with a career-high 50 points, including 25 over his final 33 games. That performance ranked third on the Jets during that stretch and placed him among names like Dylan Larkin and Sebastian Aho. With Adam Lowry sidelined long-term, Perfetti is expected to take on more minutes, potentially around 17 to 18 per game, and is set to feature on the top power play unit alongside Kyle Connor.

A former top-ten pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Perfetti is entering his fourth season and appears ready to take the next step, with projections suggesting he could reach the 65 to 70 point range and become a breakout star for Winnipeg.

Jets Fantasy Hockey Outlook: Nyquist in Question, Hellebuyck Still Elite, Perfetti's Rising Stock