Post-Mortem: Winnipeg Jets Still Have Lots Of Hope

The Winnipeg Jets looked like a legitimate Stanley Cup front-runner last year.

But what a difference a year makes for the 2024-25 Presidents' Trophy champions, who are now eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2021-22.

The Jets won nine of their first 12 games this season, but after that, they went 6-19-5 to hurt their playoff hopes.

The death knell for Winnipeg's year essentially came when the Jets went 1-10-4 from early December through early January, sinking to the bottom of the Central Division and Western Conference standings.

Mark Scheifele Breaks Jets Single Season Points Record

Scheifele's historic 101-point night etched his name in Jets history, surpassing legends and igniting playoff hopes with his best season yet.

That said, it's not impossible for Winnipeg to be a playoff team next season. The Pacific Division is the weakest in the league, so it's very possible the Central sends five teams into the post-season next year. And the Jets have no valid excuse for not being one of those playoff teams.

The bad news about Winnipeg's late-season surge is that it turned them into a mushy middle team – too bad to make the playoffs, and too good to earn the best chance at winning a top draft pick.

But really, at this stage, the Jets should be trading some of their draft picks; they're clearly in win-now mode, and that's not going to change next season. Cheveldayoff has all three of his first-round picks in the next three drafts, so he could use one of those picks to improve his team immediately.

The Jets aren't going to embark on a rebuild based on one letdown season. But if they're at this same place in the standings this time next season, there could be a crossroads moment coming for the team.

For now, though, Winnipeg is going to have every opportunity to redeem themselves in 2026-27. With the right tweaks to the roster and a key signing and/or trade acquisition or two, the Jets could rebound in a major way.

If that's what happens, this season's woes will quickly be forgotten as a blip on the franchise's radar.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Hockey News

This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 3:29 PM.