3 Trade Targets That Could Fix Winnipeg's Depth Scoring Woes

By Jake Tye and Noah Sefton

The Winnipeg Jets are facing serious depth-scoring issues, with little relief on the horizon. Their top line of Gabe Vilardi, Mark Scheifele, and Kyle Connor has produced 11 of the team’s 15 goals, leaving the rest of the lineup struggling to generate offense. Players the organization hoped would provide secondary scoring, such as Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist, have fallen well short of expectations.

This team-wide scoring drought has coincided with a steep slide down the standings. Despite this, Winnipeg still has the core pieces from its President’s Trophy–winning roster and remains capable of clawing back into playoff contention. The talent is there for another run, but the Jets may need reinforcements to stabilize their current slump and ease the burden on their top trio.

Here are several players who could fit well within the Jets’ system, potentially supplying the depth scoring they need and who have already surfaced in trade speculation. 

Contending teams are increasingly trying to emulate the Florida Panthers’ championship model of strength down the middle, and the Jets appear to be no exception as they search for help behind an underperforming Jonathan Toews, who has just nine points and a team-worst minus-12 rating in 26 games. Calgary’s Nazem Kadri stands out as the most viable option, with teams already making offers for the 35-year-old Stanley Cup–winning center, who remains a reliable 65–80 point producer despite carrying four years at $7 million and a 13-team no-trade list. 

While his contract adds complications, Kadri could immediately strengthen Winnipeg’s forward depth, and the Jets have movable assets such as disgruntled prospect Brad Lambert who could appeal to a rebuilding Flames team. A deal could make sense for both sides, potentially involving a third team to help manage the cap hit and make Kadri’s addition more feasible for Winnipeg.

The Canucks face growing urgency with captain and franchise cornerstone Quinn Hughes approaching the end of his contract next season, pushing the team to build a young, competitive roster that will persuade him to stay and potentially leading to tough choices including trading high-impact winger Kiefer Sherwood. 

Sherwood, coming off a 40-point, league-leading 462-hit season and currently pacing near 50 points in a depth role, offers the physicality, energy, and secondary scoring the Jets badly need, making him a natural fit on their third line with Adam Lowry and Nino Niederreiter. If Vancouver embraces a youth movement, Winnipeg could capitalize by offering promising prospects such as Brad Lambert or Nikita Chibrikov, aligning with the Canucks’ desire for young talent ready to grow into everyday NHL roles.

The Maple Leafs seem to be clawing their way back into the playoff race, riding a three-game winning streak heading into a favorable matchup against the Canadiens on Saturday. A fourth straight win could put them firmly back in contention. Still, if the team drifts back toward missing the postseason, as most sportsbooks currently project, they could become sellers at the trade deadline.

No Maple Leafs player has surfaced in trade discussions more than winger Nick Robertson, Toronto’s 2019 second-round pick, whose long-anticipated potential is finally beginning to show. The 24-year-old California native is on pace for a career year, posting 12 goals in 26 games and tracking just shy of 40 points. Robertson could immediately slot into a second-line role and help drive offense alongside Cole Perfetti.

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