Kyle Connor’s opening stretch is already looking like the kind that can carry a season.
The Winnipeg Jets winger kept rolling on Wednesday, scoring twice and burying the game-winner with just a minute left in a 3-2 win. It was another sharp reminder that Connor is wasting no time getting into midseason form, and through four games he’s already flashed the kind of ceiling that turns a good start into something much bigger.
That two-goal night was his third multi-goal game in only four games this season, which puts the 29-year-old Michigan native on pace for one of the most productive openings of his career. And the early numbers fit a familiar pattern.
Connor has made a habit of starting fast. Last October, he posted six goals and nine assists for 15 points in 11 games.
In 2024, he was even hotter, piling up nine goals and eight assists for 17 points in just ten games. Go back to October 2021, and the script looks similar again: seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in eight games.
The seasons that followed those hot starts tell the real story. In 2022 and 2023, Connor finished October below a point per game, and both years ended without him reaching 90 points. In the three seasons when he did come out firing - 2021, 2024 and 2025 - he got to 90 or more points every time.
So yes, the early signs are pointing toward another 90-point campaign if this keeps up. The challenge, though, is sitting right in front of him. Winnipeg’s schedule to open the year is loaded with tough tests, including the Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Even so, Wednesday showed Connor can still produce against elite opposition. His game-winning performance came against an Avalanche team that finished last season with the league’s best backend. If he keeps this pace, the Jets are going to be a team worth watching every night, no matter who’s across the ice.
In Other News...
Jets' First Regulation Loss Puts One Early Concern In Focus
The first regulation loss of the season arrived in a lopsided way for Winnipeg, as the Jets fell 5-1 to the Anaheim Ducks and saw a three-game winning streak come to an end. Kyle Connor supplied the lone goal for the Jets in his 700th NHL game, but the night belonged to a Ducks group that got an early lift from Judd Caulfield, who scored his first NHL goal.
For Winnipeg, the bigger concern was how little traction the offense found when the game tilted against it. The Jets could not capitalize on their chances with the extra skater, and when a night like this turns into chasing the game, the margin for error gets thin in a hurry. It was only one loss in a long season, but it did put an early pressure point in view. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Desperation Just Put Connor Hellebuyck Back In The Spotlight
The Rangers goaltending situation has pushed them into the kind of desperation that naturally pulls another teams star into the conversation, and this time its Connor Hellebuyck back in the spotlight. With Igor Shesterkin out for the season and Joonas Korpisalo unavailable for several weeks, New Yorks need in net has become impossible to ignore, which is why the idea of a blockbuster swing at Winnipegs Vezina-caliber starter is making the rounds as a theoretical fix.
It is still only a proposal, not a real negotiation, but the concept shows how far the Rangers might have to go if they wanted to chase a true answer between the pipes. Any such move would come with major obstacles on Winnipegs side, starting with the fact that Hellebuyck controls his fate, and ending with the sort of draft-and-player package it would take to even get the Jets to listen. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Get Encouraging OEL Update But One Wait Remains
Oliver Ekman-Larsson was back on the ice for practice after the head injury he took in a game, a small but meaningful step for the Maple Leafs as they try to sort through their blue-line health. It does not guarantee he is ready for the next game, but it at least gives Toronto something more encouraging than a blank injury update, especially at a point in the schedule when every available defenseman matters.
For Winnipeg, the broader lesson is familiar: availability can shape the entire conversation around a team, whether it is a veteran defenseman easing back into practice or Connor Hellebuyck still sitting out and leaving fans watching the situation closely. The Jets keep waiting for clarity on his status, and one supporter has even turned that wait into a running online tally, a sign of just how much the uncertainty around their star goaltender has taken hold. [Read more 🡒]