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The Winnipeg Jets have begun the 2023-24 NHL season in a rather up-and-down manner. Winnipeg has looked really good for some stretches early in the year. However, they have also had some points where the cracks are clear and evident to see.
The Jets want to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year after doing so last season. Winnipeg has the talent to go on a deep run, as well. It's easy to forget that this team isn't that far removed from an appearance in the Western Conference Finals.
However, things aren't that easy. And the Jets have issues that could certainly prevent them from going on that long run. It's still early in the season, but the team needs to iron out the wrinkles sooner rather than later.
Let's go over Winnipeg's start to the season briefly. Then, we can identify their most pleasant surprise and biggest disappointment of the 2023-24 NHL season to this point in the schedule.
Winnipeg's start
Winnipeg began the season against the Calgary Flames, losing 5-3. The Jets went on to begin the season 1-3-0 early on. However, things took a positive turn. They defeated the Edmonton Oilers in overtime on October 21, which kicked off a three-game winning streak.
On October 28, the winning streak ended when the Jets lost to the Montreal Canadiens. That loss began a three-game losing streak as Winnipeg dropped games to the New York Rangers and Vegas Golden Knights. Once again, though, their fortunes took a positive turn.
Winnipeg kicked off another three-game winning streak on November 4 when they defeated the Arizona Coyotes. They went on to defeat the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators, as well. In their most recent game, however, the Jets fell to the Dallas Stars by a score of 3-2.
Cole Perfetti could be breaking out
To be fair, there are a couple of players deserving of being highlighted here. For example, veteran forward Alex Iafallo deserves a lot of credit. He has scored 12 points in 14 games, ranking third in team scoring. However, I want to highlight former first-round pick Cole Perfetti here.
Perfetti entered the league with a ton of potential, but we haven't had the chance to see it. He only played 51 games in 2022-23, and the former Saginaw Spirit star scored just eight goals and 30 points. It certainly is not a terrible output, but not what many expected from a player with Perfetti's upside.
This year, however, we've seen the early stages of a potential breakout season. The 21-year-old has already scored four goals through the first 14 games. And he has seven assists, bringing his point total to 11. Perfetti is currently enjoying a six-game point streak and has recorded a point in seven of his last eight games.
Perfetti needed a big breakout season, and it seems it could come this year. If he truly does breakout, the Jets are definitely in good shape as they continue trying to compete in the Western Conference moving forward.
Connor Hellebuyck has been shaky
The Jets needed to sign Connor Hellebuyck to a big contract prior to the season. Elite goaltenders don't grow on trees, and Hellebuyck is elite in every sense of the word. Winnipeg paid him like an elite goalie, as well. However, the early return is shockingly disappointing.
To be clear, the Michigan native hasn't played terribly. Hellebuyck has played to his elite nature at points this year. That said, he has had more rough patches than usual this year. As of this writing, the 30-year-old possesses a .892 save percentage through 11 games.
To put this in perspective, Hellebuyck's worst save percentage in a single year is .907. That total is also the only time he's had a save percentage below .910 in a single season. This makes his start to the year a disappointment, especially considering the major contract extension he signed.
Hellebuyck is more likely than not to figure things out. If he doesn't, the Jets are in major trouble this year. In any event, this is not an ideal start for the 30-year-old puck-stopper. And it's not what Winnipeg needs as they continue to build themselves towards contender status.
