The Winnipeg Jets at times looked like a juggernaut in 2023-24, putting together one of the best seasons in franchise history and entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs on an eight-game winning streak. They even beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-0 during that run. But, for the second straight year, the Jets were downed in Round 1, losing to those same Avs in five games.
It's now been four seasons since the club has won a playoff series; they were defeated by the Vegas Golden Knights in five games the year before, and failed to qualify altogether in 2021-22. And although Winnipeg was a fantastic team that lost to another phenomenal squad, they're already looking much weaker on paper heading into training camp.
The Jets lost key pieces of the puzzle in forwards Tyler Toffoli and Sean Monahan, defensemen Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt, and backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit. The players that were brought in won't even come close to plugging the holes left behind by those five players, and it's hard to see this roster winning anywhere near 52 games again in 2024-25. Let's discuss some glaring concerns in Manitoba.
Jets have no replacement for Tyler Toffoli, Sean Monahan
The Jets play in a very difficult Central Division, with both of the Avalanche and Dallas Stars figuring to again be at the top of the mountain next April. The Nashville Predators got a ton better with the additions of Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos, while the Chicago Blackhawks made a few shrewd moves to give Connor Bedard a better supporting cast in his sophomore campaign. And the Minnesota Wild will be hungry to return to the postseason after a rare miss in 2024.
Considering that, the Jets' lack of offseason additions is going to have them hard-pressed to compete for another divisional crown in 2024-25. Two proven scorers in Toffoli and Monahan leaving won't help, either.
The former only played 18 games for Winnipeg after coming over in a trade with the New Jersey Devils, but he was excellent in that span. Besides leading the team in Corsi-for, he scored seven goals and 11 points, adding another two tallies in the postseason. He's a stalwart top-six forward who is difficult to replace.
The same can be said for Monahan after he put multiple seasons of injury woes behind him. The 29-year-old found his form with the Montreal Canadiens last season, amassing an impressive 35 points in 49 games before being traded to Winnipeg. And he picked up right where he left off, potting 13 goals and 24 points in 34 games with the Jets.
At the end of a disappointing postseason, Toffoli left Canada to join the San Jose Sharks, while Monahan reunited with Johnny Gaudreau and the Columbus Blue Jackets. And with Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck's new massive contracts kicking in, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff didn't have the cap space to replace either scorer. That' really going to hurt this team next year.
Nikolaj Ehlers will probably get traded
Also deterring the Jets from another potential terrific campaign is the future of star forward Nikolaj Ehlers. The speedy Danish forward has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Jets, but that chapter could be coming to an end. With one year left on his deal, and set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2025, the 28-year-old is reportedly not planning to re-sign with the franchise, according to The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta.
Unlike Toffoli and Monahan, Cheveldayoff has the option to trade Ehlers and get a haul in return, which is exactly what should happen instead of risking him walking for nothing next offseason. After a couple of injury-ridden seasons, he played a full 82-game slate in 2023-24, and scored 25 goals for the fifth time in his career.
If the former No. 9 overall pick is made available, there certainly won't be a lack of suitors. But that storyline will be looming large ahead of training camp, and losing all of Toffoli, Monahan and Ehlers would be devastating for a club that went all-in last season and came up empty.
Winnipeg's D-core is weaker without Brenden Dillon, Nate Schmidt
Like the two forwards who walked, it was the same story with Dillon and Schmidt. The former signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Devils after three seasons in Winnipeg, while the latter took his talents to South Beach and inked a one-year pact with the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Again, Cheveldayoff didn't have the cap space to sign a top-four defenseman, despite rumors that he was targeting one in free agency, per Pagnotta. And with that, two everyday defensemen left and weren't replaced this summer. Although neither is a difference-making player, each played a role that will now likely be filled by less effective blue liners like Colin Miller, Logan Stanley and Dylan Samberg.
Connor Hellebuyck's new backup is a downgrade
On paper, both the forward core and defensive unit are weaker. And although Hellebuyck will continue to get the lion's share of starts after winning the Vezina Trophy last season, he had a fantastic backup in Laurent Brossoit. With him now gone to compete with Petr Mrazek for starts in Chicago, it's Kaapo Kahkonen who will be filling in.
Kahkonen is a definite downgrade from Brossoit, and when Hellebuyck needs a night off — or in the case of a back-to-back — the team will be less confident starting the former San Jose Shark. Brossoit has been one of the best backup goalies in the league for years, while Kahkonen managed just a 3.81 goals-against average and .895 save percentage with the lowly Sharks last year. Although he was better in a short sample size in New Jersey at the end of the campaign, he remains unproven.
Overall, the Jets got worse at every position after tying a franchise record with 52 wins and going all-in with the acquisitions of Toffoli and Monahan. With both of them gone, along with the potential of Ehlers joining them, it was a nightmare offseason in Winnipeg. Although Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey and Kyle Connor will continue to drive the bus, and Hellebucyk remains elite, it could be a long 2024-25 campaign in Manitoba.
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