As the 2026-27 season gets closer, the Winnipeg Jets have more than team goals on the table. After last season’s disappointing exit, the group is aiming to regroup and push forward with more urgency. Along the way, several players are sitting on the edge of some major career milestones.
Kyle Connor is one of the clearest names to watch. The winger needs 27 more goals to reach 350 for his career, 26 more points to get to 700, and he has to appear in just five games this season to hit 700 career games.
Mark Scheifele is also within striking distance of several big numbers. He is 38 games away from 1,000 in his career, 28 goals short of 400, and 93 points from 1,000.
Nino Niederreiter is another forward with a couple of marks well within reach. Entering his fourth full season in Winnipeg, he is two goals away from 250 career goals and one point shy of 500 career points. Unless something drastic happens, those milestones should be crossed this season.
The blue line has its own targets, too. Neal Pionk, formerly of the New York Rangers, is 32 points away from 300 career points and could get there in the second half of the season. Josh Morrissey is chasing two milestones as well: he needs 61 more games to reach 800 in his NHL career and 72 more points to get to 500.
Connor Hellebuyck has a pair of milestones within reach, assuming his health holds up. He is five wins away from 250 for his career, all of them with Winnipeg, and another five shutouts would give him 50, tying Chris Osgood for 33rd all-time. If he reaches 350 wins this season, he would move close to the top 25 all-time in NHL history.
The Stanley Cup remains the priority, and that part is not up for debate. But there is real history sitting in front of these Jets players, and 2026-27 could turn into a season packed with personal achievements on top of the bigger team mission.
In Other News...
Connor Hellebuyck Uncertainty Just Became The Jets' Biggest Camp Story
Connor Hellebuycks standing around the league is still elite, even if the NHL Networks annual goaltender list nudged him down to second behind Andrei Vasilevskiy. For Winnipeg, though, the bigger storyline is not where he lands on a rankings list. It is the uncertainty hanging over camp as the Jets try to sort out what their crease looks like and whether the long-time starter is still the guy they are preparing to ride.
The speculation has not gone away, and the Jets have already built in some protection by adding Stuart Skinner as insurance in goal. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has also made clear the club is open to trade offers, even though no formal request from Hellebuyck has been confirmed. For a team that has leaned on him for so long, the questions now are as much about timing and leverage as they are about talent. [Read more 🡒]