Winnipeg Jets to Take ‘Big Swings’ This Offseason to Add Multiple Pieces

After winning the Presidents' Trophy last season, it's been a real slog in 2025-26 for the Winnipeg Jets. They've straightened things out a bit of late, and picked themselves up from a 13th-place standing in the Western Conference going into the Olympic Break. They've gone 8-3-4 since then, and are now five points out of a Wild Card berth going down the stretch.

It might be a case of too little, too late to salvage this season, but as insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period tells us, the Jets will be looking to make some big moves this offseason to get right back to being a serious contender in 2026-27. Here's what he sees as their attitude:

'We've got to be competitive, we've got to be a contender here. We'll take this this blip in the radar, this anomaly, it's a one-off, but next year we better get our butts back in the postseason.'
What they looked for all season, and obviously weren't able to replace, was a Nik Ehlers. And secondary scoring. 'How can we bring in two guys to play on our second line, or at least one for now, that can play and mesh with Cole Perfetti?'
I do think they are going to take some big swings (this summer). I do think it'll be trying to piece some things together to shore up that second line in order to give them more of a balanced attack going into next season... I think they are going to be aggressive. I can see them going after one second line guy in free agency, and then try to make a trade for that other piece.

The Jets lost Ehlers, and his decade's worth of a diet of mid-20s goal scoring annually, to the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency last summer. They did not replace that offensive production.

Pagnotta mentioned Perfetti... The 24-year-old has had a disappointing season, but the team still values him, the insider says, and they want him to grow with them. But they'll need to surround him with the right people.

The Jets will be looking to make some bold moves this summer. They have the NHL's best goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, under contract for another five seasons, and they don't want to waste it.