The Winnipeg Jets are feeling the weight of a season that just hasn’t gone their way. Saturday night’s 5-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on home ice wasn’t just another mark in the loss column-it felt like a gut punch to a team that had been clawing its way back toward playoff relevance. Instead of building momentum, the Jets find themselves taking a hard look at what comes next.
And that next step might involve some significant roster decisions.
Winnipeg has been straddling the fence in the trade market this season-sometimes labeled as buyers, other times as sellers. It's a reflection of a team caught in the middle: competitive enough to stay in the conversation, but inconsistent enough to spark questions about the long-term vision. That’s where the trade rumors come in, and they’re starting to get interesting.
According to recent reports, the Jets have shown interest in Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright. The 22-year-old was a top prospect not long ago and is still seen as a player with significant upside. But what’s really turning heads is the possibility that Cole Perfetti’s name has come up in those talks.
Now, let’s break that down.
Perfetti is 24 and already has a 50-point season under his belt. He’s a known commodity in Winnipeg-a skilled, versatile forward who’s been producing in a top-six role.
This season, he’s got 15 points in 37 games, including 11 assists. Those numbers may not jump off the page, but they reflect a player who’s still developing and contributing in meaningful ways.
Wright, on the other hand, has put up 18 points in 51 games this season with Seattle, mostly in a middle-six role. He’s younger and still carving out his identity at the NHL level. His 19 goals and 25 assists last season showed flashes of what made him a fourth overall pick, but he hasn’t quite broken through to top-line status just yet.
So, would a one-for-one swap make sense? Probably not.
From Winnipeg’s perspective, trading Perfetti for Wright feels more like a sideways move-if not a slight step back. Perfetti’s ceiling is still high, and he’s already proven he can contribute at this level.
Wright might have the higher long-term upside, but that’s still a projection, not a guarantee.
The more appealing scenario for the Jets would be to find a way to bring in Wright without giving up Perfetti. That could mean dangling draft picks or other assets instead.
If Winnipeg could pull that off, they’d be adding a young, talented center who could grow alongside Perfetti rather than replace him. That duo could form a dynamic second line, potentially giving the Jets the kind of depth they’ve seen in the past with pairings like Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.
There’s already a glimpse of what that kind of chemistry could look like. Gabe Vilardi has meshed well with Jonathan Toews and Perfetti, and inserting Wright into that mix could elevate the group even further. It’s about building something sustainable-not just for the rest of this season, but for the years ahead.
For general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, the challenge is clear: find a way to add talent without sacrificing key young pieces. The Jets can’t afford to trade potential for potential unless the upside is undeniable. And with the season slipping away, every move now carries weight-not just in the standings, but in shaping the future of the franchise.
There’s still time for Winnipeg to right the ship, but the clock is ticking. Whether they decide to double down on youth or make a splash with a calculated trade, the next few weeks will say a lot about where this team is headed-and how they plan to get there.