“The Winnipeg Jets started the season as a trendy pick to sneak into the playoffs,” wrote Judson Rempel of The Hockey Writers website. “A new goalie was coming in, lots of rookies were stepping into the lineup, taking the spots of older, slower veterans, and the leadership group was established.”
Nearly halfway through the season, “sneak into the playoffs” still describes Jets fans’ hopes.
As of Tuesday morning, Winnipeg was one of three clubs that stood three points back of the eighth playoff seed in the Western Conference.
Scoring isn’t the Jets’ problem; they ranked sixth in offence in their conference. Rather, Winnipeg has been allowing too many goals, sitting 10th in their conference in that category.
Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson have been unspectacular in the Jets’ crease, prompting some fans to demand management upgrade the position.
That’s a fair request. While Hellebuyck is big, young and eager, there are serious questions about his ability to lead Winnipeg to the post-season this spring.
Fortunately, as Lyle Richardson of the Hockey News has reported, the goalie trade market is expected to heat up this season ahead of the 2017 expansion draft. Teams will not want to risk losing a goalie for nothing.
If the Jets can swap draft picks for a higher-grade goalie – one who can take the Jets to the playoffs while allowing Hellebuyck to mature – then it’s an opportunity management must seriously entertain.
