The Winnipeg Jets’ Wednesday practice offered the clearest look yet at how their 2026-27 opening-night lineup may be taking shape.
Two days after the club set its 23-man roster and two days before its season-opening matchup with the Boston Bruins at Canada Life Centre, the Jets ran line rushes at Hockey for All Centre that pointed to several notable changes up front, on the blue line, and in goal.
At forward, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti were together on the top line. That shift moved Perfetti up to join his longtime linemates Connor and Scheifele, while Gabriel Vilardi dropped off that group and onto the second line with rookies Isak Rosen and Viggo Bjorck.
Morgan Barron also appeared to be sliding back to the wing, at least for now, after spending more time at centre last season. He skated with captain Adam Lowry and Brad Lambert on the third line. The fourth unit was the veteran-heavy trio of Nino Niederreiter, Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Iafallo, a group that brings more than 2,400 games of NHL experience.
The defense pairings also came into focus. Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo remained on the top pair, with Dylan Samberg and Neal Pionk behind them on the second unit.
The offseason addition of Mario Ferraro gave the Jets a different look on the third pair alongside Tyrel Bauer, who is set to make his Jets debut six years after being drafted in the sixth round. Haydn Fleury and Jack St.
Ivany formed the next pairing, while Elias Salomonsson skated in a non-contact jersey as he continues to recover from surgery in May.
In net, the situation is just as unusual. With Connor Hellebuyck refusing to report to the Jets and his trade-request saga ongoing, the club is expected to lean on offseason signing Stuart Skinner and recent waiver pickup Clay Stevenson for its goaltending duties.
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Jets Enter Final Stretch With One Big Opening Night Question
The final days before the NHL regular season have brought a little bit of everything around the Jets, from roster trimming to a steady run of practices at the Hockey for All Centre. Winnipeg has already pared its group down to 23 players, a sign the opening stretch is closing in fast, while the Manitoba Moose continue their own ramp-up with practices of their own as they prepare for the home opener.
Amid all that on-ice work, the team also unveiled its jersey schedule, and that is where the curiosity really starts. Between the new Heritage Classic and Hometown Remix uniforms, there is now another layer of intrigue around what the Jets will actually wear when the games begin, and the answers should come into focus soon enough. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans Are Getting More Than A New Look This Season
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There is also a heavy promotional push attached to the new season, with a 48-hour October Fan Sale, a record number of giveaway games and new specialty ticket offers that include exclusive merchandise. The club says the sale is meant to give supporters more ways to get in the building early in the schedule, while the new uniform initiative adds another layer of anticipation to the season's first stretch at home. For a fan base that shows up faithfully, it sounds like the Jets are trying to reward that loyalty with a little bit of everything. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Suddenly Face A Costly Question In Latest NHL Rumor Wave
Connor Hellebuycks name surfacing in the latest round of NHL chatter naturally lands with Winnipeg fans, even if the report is still firmly in rumor territory. The Jets have spent years building around elite goaltending, and any suggestion that a Hellebuyck move could even be part of league-wide discussion is enough to make the rest of the conversation feel bigger than a single trade call.
What makes the noise worth watching is how many moving parts sit around it, from other teams kicking around packages to the reality that Winnipeg would not be dealing from a position of comfort. The rumor mill has tied the Jets to a few different possibilities, but the real question is whether the goaltending market itself would cooperate, and that is where this story still has room to turn. [Read more 🡒]