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The Winnipeg Jets were Stanley Cup contenders last season when the Stanley Cup Playoffs began. The Jets found a system of play that took a lot of the reliance off star goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Winnipeg was one of the best defensive units in the NHL, and it seemed as if they were destined for a long playoff run in 2024.
Unfortunately, this did not come to pass. The Jets defeated the Colorado Avalanche in a chaotic Game 1 in round one. However, they proceeded to lose the next four games. The Avalanche eliminated Winnipeg in five games, sending the team home wondering, “What if?”
Few expected this team to contend for the Stanley Cup in 2024-25. Winnipeg certainly could be a good team, without a doubt. But Stanley Cup contenders felt a bit too far for this group. Especially with trade rumors around Nikolaj Ehlers stemming from questions about his long-term future in Manitoba.
And yet, the Jets have cemented themselves as a Stanley Cup contender. Winnipeg has a 10-point lead over the Dallas Stars atop the Central Division in the Western Conference. Additionally, their 79 points are good for first in the entire NHL. They have the inside track toward becoming the first team to reach the 80-point mark in the NHL this season.
This could certainly be the last time the Jets make a run at the Stanley Cup with their current core. Some star players are aging, and others could leave in NHL Free Agency this summer. Now is the time to make a move, and there is a glaring roster flaw Winnipeg can and must address at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
Jets must find a second-line center
The Jets made a trade for Sean Monahan at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. Winnipeg gave up a first-round pick for the resurgent Monahan, who had turned things around with the Montreal Canadiens. The idea behind this deal was to have Monahan play as the team's second-line center.
The move certainly worked out as Monahan played well. But the veteran center left in NHL Free Agency to join the Columbus Blue Jackets. As a result, the Jets were left without a second-line center. And they did not sign or trade for someone to fill the void.
Instead, the team relied on veteran center Vladislav Namestnikov entering this season. Namestnikov played incredibly well for Winnipeg in 2023-24. In fact, he scored nearly 40 points for the first time since 2018-19 last season. The logic behind deploying Namestnikov as the second-line center certainly made sense.
Namestinkov has certainly played well enough this year. However, his skillset is better suited for a role a bit lower in the lineup. The same goes for captain Adam Lowry, who has filled in at second-line center as well this year. Lowry is currently on injured reserve, though, increasing the need for a center this year.
The Jets could go for one of the big fish centers on the trade market. While a trade for Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson is a bit of a reach, a move for New York Islanders center Brock Nelson is within the realm of possibility. The Islanders have played well, though, having won eight of their last nine games.
The Jets can add a center in any number of ways. Nelson is far from the only option. They have the cap space to make a big move to bolster their roster, as well. A Canadian team has not won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. What a story it would be if the Jets were the team to bring Lord Stanley's Cup back north of the border in 2025.
