In this series, Heavy Sports is looking at what every NHL team has done over the offseason. Last up is the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets had a disappointing season this past year as they dropped out of the playoffs with a 35-35-12 record, which gave them 72 points in the league standings. This comes after a 2024-2025 campaign that saw the team first in the NHL during regular season play, giving them the Presidents trophy. Winnipeg is hoping for a bounce back year that can propel them back into postseason contention.
Who are Winnipeg’s Additions?
Key additions: Viggo Bjorck, Mario Ferraro, Noah Gregor, Stuart Skinner, Henry Thrun
The Jets have not been aggressive on the adding front. Viggo Bjorck could feature on this squad soon, he was selected eighth overall by the team in this past draft. The most notable addition outside of the draft is goaltender Stuart Skinner from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He will be looking to get his game back on track after a rough past couple seasons. Skinner will backup star netminder Connor Hellebuyck in net, who has been featured in potential trade discussions all summer. Mario Ferraro, formerly of the San Jose Sharks, has been added to bolster the defensive core. Ferraro recorded seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points in 82 games last season. Noah Gregor was brought in to add depth to the forward unit. In terms of extensions, forward Cole Perfetti received a five year $30 million deal with the club.
Who are Winnipeg’s Subtractions?
Key subtractions: Jacob Bryson, Eric Comrie, David Gustafsson, Ville Heinola, Colin Miller, Gustav Nyqvist, Mason Shaw, Jonathan Toews
Winnipeg also have not lost much this summer; this will be a very similar looking unit. The biggest loss is forward Jonathan Toews; the legendary centerman has retired from the game. Toews registered 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in 82 games during his final tour last year. Otherwise, the departures from this team consist of secondary players.
Overall, this has been a mostly quiet offseason for this Manitoba group. There is the question of whether enough has been done to improve this team when it comes to reaching the goal of returning to the playoffs. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is banking on the Jets regaining the elite form they showed in the prior season. They will need more depth contributions in order to do so. Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi carried the offense last season as this top line was responsible for most of the production. Winnipeg will need players lower in the lineup to step up; they cannot rely on three players for offense. Perfetti is amongst those who will have to make a jump, coming off of a big-ticket extension this summer. The fate of Hellebuyck is the biggest unknown for this team as his long-term future with the club is not clear at this point. A return to winning hockey will be crucial if the team wants to keep their franchise goalie happy in Winnipeg.
All transactions are available via Puck Pedia.
Winnipeg Jets Offseason Recap