Winnipeg Jets bold predictions for 2024-25 NHL season
The Winnipeg Jets enjoyed a phenomenal regular-season in 2023-24, but as per usual, they couldn't translate it into playoff success. In the three-headed monster that was the Central Division, the Jets battled the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars all campaign long, eventually finishing second with an exceptional 52-24-6 record. That's tied with the most wins the franchise has ever had.
Things looked sunny heading into the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs; Winnipeg had won eight games in a row heading into their Round 1 series with the Avs, after all. But after winning a wild Game 1, 7-6, things imploded for the Canadian franchise.
The Jets lost four games in a row to the 2022 Stanley Cup champions , being outscored 22-8 in that span. Connor Hellebuyck, who was masterful in the regular-season en route to a well-deserved Vezina Trophy, completely fell apart . And the offence dried up in Games 2-5, as the club was sent packing early once again.
It's now been four years since Winnipeg has won a playoff round, and seven since a thrilling run to the Western Conference Final ended at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, the Jets still project as a playoff team , and one of the better squads in the Western Conference. But can they find a way to finally get over the hump in the playoffs? That remains to be seen, and it's not like the division got any easier this summer. Here are four Jets bold predictions ahead of a new National Hockey League season.
Kyle Connor finally scores 50 goals
Despite missing 17 games during the 2023-24 campaign, Kyle Connor continued to drive the bus offensively — along with Mark Scheifele — for Winnipeg last year. The Clinton Township, Michigan native amassed 34 goals and 61 points in 65 games, one year after he snapped for 80 points in 82 games in 2022-23.
Connor has been an excellent offensive producer since he was drafted No. 17 overall by the Jets in the 2015 NHL Draft, and remains a face of the franchise. But one thing he has never done is score 50 goals. The closest he got is in 2021-22, when he had the best offensive year of his career. Connor amassed 47 tallies and 93 points in 79 games, solidifying himself as a superstar despite the team missing the playoffs.
Entering the new season, and with Nikolaj Ehlers probably going to get traded at some point, head coach Scott Arniel will likely load up the top line with Connor, Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi (more on him later). That projects as one of the best lines in the National, and should bring out the best of all three players.
While scoring 50 goals is an immensely difficult task, Connor has proved that he can score in bunches, and if he can play a full 82-game slate, there's a chance the 27-year-old could hit the milestone for the first time in his career. He is still in the middle of his prime, after all.
And if that happens, it should also help to bring out the best in Scheifele in 2024-25.
Mark Scheifele returns to point-per-game status for 1st time in 3 years
Along with Connor, Scheifele is a heart and soul player for the Jets, he just has been for much longer. The 31-year-old was selected No. 7 overall by the franchise in the 2011 NHL Draft, and he's called the city home for well over a decade.
He's also been an elite point producer, chipping in 34 points in 63 games in his rookie season in 2013-14 and getting better and better since. He first reached the point-per-game threshold in 2016-17, amassing a fantastic 32 goals and 82 points in 79 games. That started a terrific run of six straight campaigns that saw the Kitchener, Ontario native score at above a PPG pace. His best year came in 2018-19, when he scored 38 goals and 84 points over a full 82-game slate.
But the last couple of years have seen Scheifele's offensive production drop — not by much, but enough to get him back under the 1.0 PPG the hockey world was so used to seeing from him. Two years ago, he went for 68 points in 81 games, and last season, he managed just 25 goals and 72 points in 74 games. That is still excellent, but it's not quite the standard that the star forward has held himself to.
After putting up six points in the five-game series against Colorado, and with a lucrative new contract under his belt, Scheifele should continue to excel in Manitoba. Along with Connor and Vilardi, there's at least a decent chance he will return to scoring at above a point-per-game pace. If anything, he should score much more than 25 goals, his lowest total in a full season since 2014-15.
Josh Morrissey finishes top-5 in Norris Trophy voting
If it's Connor and Scheifele driving the offense, it's been Josh Morrissey running the blue line. The 29-year-old has been a staple on the team since being selected 13th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, and he truly broke out in the 2022-23 season. After never scoring more than 37 points in a full season, Morrissey went nuclear, taking over the top powerplay unit and scoring 16 goals and 76 points in 81 games.
It was much of the same in 2023-24, with the Canadian potting 10 goals and 69 points in 81 contests. Morrissey has established himself as one of the better defensemen in the NHL, as evidenced by his seventh-place finish in Norris Trophy voting. He also had an excellent +34 rating last year.
As Winnipeg's bonafide No. 1, and with some confidence that he can play with some of the best skaters in the league, Morrissey should continue to get better as he remains in his prime. Although there are a ton of excellent NHL D-men, both Victor Hedman and Roman Josi are 33, and there's a decent chance Morrissey can usurp one or both of them in Norris voting.
Gabriel Vilardi enjoys true breakout campaign, hits 70 points
While hockey fans know all about Connor, Scheifele and Morrissey, a more under-the-radar player who is primed for a big season is Vilardi. After coming over from the Los Angeles Kings in the trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to California , he was quietly excellent last year.
Despite playing just 47 regular-season games, the 25-year-old managed an impressive 22 goals and 36 points. Now basically a lock to play on the top line and top powerplay unit, there's a great chance this player breaks out this year.
If Vilardi can stay healthy, he could certainly challenge for upwards of 60 points. If we're being bold, let's pencil the Kingston, Ontario native in for at least 30 goals and 70+ points in 2024-25. He's a fantasy draft steal waiting to happen.
