The Winnipeg Jets have opened the season looking a lot less like a team stuck in last year’s collapse and a lot more like a group with something to prove.
After a 2025-26 campaign that saw them fall from winning the Presidents’ Trophy to missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Jets entered this year with Connor Hellebuyck having demanded a trade over the summer. Instead of spiraling, Winnipeg has jumped to a 4-1-1 start and sits first in the Central Division by points percentage.
A big reason for that turnaround has been the goaltending. Summer free-agent pickup Stuart Skinner has been sharp out of the gate, putting up a .917 save percentage and 2.47 goals-against average while going 3-0-1 in his four starts. Clay Stevenson, claimed off waivers during the preseason, has also given the club steady minutes in net.
On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, host Tyler Yaremchuk and co-host and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton talked it over with Andrew Paterson of Winnipeg Sports Talk, who said the Jets are feeding off the doubt around them.
“This is a team that is playing with a chip on its shoulder right now… I think they feel like they have been written off. We always talk about the ‘nobody believes in us’ team.
That is the Winnipeg Jets this year, in my opinion, and I think they’re sort of leaning into it. Hellebuyck decided that they weren’t good enough so he’s at home doing nothing right now.
They look around that room and think that, ‘You know what? This team was a lot more than Connor Hellebuyck the last number of years.’
And they’re going to show everyone this season, and they’ve done it so far. It’s been a lot of fun, and the atmosphere, I’ve got to tell you guys, with Stuart Skinner coming in along with Clay Stevenson, the support that those two guys in particular have been getting from Jet fans, it has been very different than previous years, but I would say the vibes around the team, especially with some early wins in the season, have been as good as they’ve been in a long time.”
Hutton then pointed to the broader picture, bringing up Brady Tkachuk, Dylan Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck as Team USA players trying to get moved out, and asked whether Winnipeg’s start is about proving it can win without Hellebuyck or simply reflecting a strong roster overall.
Paterson’s answer kept the focus on how rough last season was and how much motivation already existed in the room before the offseason drama added fuel.
“Well listen, I’d be the first one to tell you they weren’t a great hockey team last year… They had a terrible season last year. Aside from the Hellebuyck stuff, there was a lot of guys on this team that have a lot to prove this year, and they leaned into that, and I think they have embraced it, but the Hellebuyck thing has just taken and put kind of gas on the fire in a lot of ways.”
In Other News...
Connor Hellebuyck Trade Buzz Just Got Real For The Jets
The conversation around Connor Hellebuyck suddenly feels a lot less hypothetical. According to Sportsnets Frank Seravalli, the Los Angeles Kings have reached out to the Jets to inquire about the reigning Winnipeg cornerstone in net, and the early contact is already enough to put the story on the radar around the league. No specific players or offers have changed hands yet, but Kings general manager Ken Holland has been informed of Winnipegs asking price, and that Hellebuyck would be willing to accept a move to Los Angeles.
For Winnipeg, any serious interest in a franchise goaltender immediately raises the stakes, especially with a team trying to balance present expectations against a market that does not often see a name like this come up. The Kings need is easy to understand, given their uneven play in goal and an aging roster that makes a big swing more complicated, but this is still the kind of discussion that can stall quickly if the price climbs too high. For now, the real story is not whether the Jets are shopping Hellebuyck, but how far Los Angeles is willing to push to make the idea more than just due diligence. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Head Into Chicago Waiting On One Crucial Lineup Decision
The Jets left Winnipeg after an optional practice with Josh Morrissey still listed day-to-day, leaving his status for the upcoming game against the Blackhawks uncertain. It is the kind of late-week question that can shape everything from the opening pairings to the overall tempo, especially with a Central Division matchup on deck and projected lineups already being pieced together on both sides.
Chicago, meanwhile, has found a bit more life since captain Connor Bedard returned, adding another layer of difficulty to a meeting that already carries a little extra weight. Winnipeg still has final roster and availability decisions to sort through before puck drop, so the most important update may not come until much closer to game time. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Face A Huge Goalie Decision As Slow Start Changes Everything
A slow start has pushed the Kings into a place where even a franchise-altering move is being weighed, and Connor Hellebuyck has surfaced as the kind of name that can shift the whole conversation. Los Angeles has reportedly explored the idea of trying to land the Winnipeg Jets goaltender, with GM Ken Holland said to understand the cost and Hellebuyck reportedly open to the possibility of a move.
For Winnipeg, the wrinkle is obvious: if the talk keeps building, the Jets would have to think through what happens if Hellebuyck wants back in after any deal drama. For now, though, this is still one of those situations that is more about the pressure of the moment than a finished plan, with the Kings sorting out whether the fit matches their strategy and no trade announcement anywhere in sight. [Read more 🡒]