2023-06-03 00:03:58
The Winnipeg Jets have had another disappointing season and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff may be tempted to rebuild the core of his team.
That’s according to Frank Seravalli of the DailyFaceoff site on Friday, naming Cheveldayoff as the man who will be “busiest and most popular” this offseason.
The first is star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, whose six-year, $37 million contract expires in 2024.
The American goalkeeper is one of the finalists for the Vézina Trophy, which he already won in 2020. His success in the regular season, however, was not repeated in the playoffs: he presented a save rate of .886 and the Jets were eliminated in five games in the first round.
Hellebuyck isn’t the only high-profile player who might escape the Manitoba cold. Unsurprisingly, the name of Pierre-Luc Dubois continues to circulate in transaction rumors.
The Quebec forward set a personal high for points (63) in 2022-2023, despite missing nine games. Whether in Montreal or elsewhere, his future doesn’t seem to involve the Jets.
Another player cited by Seravalli is none other than Mark Scheifele, who is coming off his first career 40+ goal campaign. The Ontario pivot might also reach full autonomy in 2024 and his annual salary of $6.125 million should make him a popular player on the Bettman circuit.
Finally, veteran Blake Wheeler, one of the only players who followed the team from Atlanta to Winnipeg, is no longer the shadow of the player who had two consecutive 91-point campaigns. He can still do great service in the NHL, as evidenced by his 55 points in 2022-2023.
In addition to Dubois, defensemen Dylan Samberg and Logan Stanley, as well as forwards Morgan Barron and Kevin Stenlund, will also become restricted free agents.
It’s hard to predict what the Jets roster will look like in 2023-24, but one thing is certain, GM Cheveldayoff will have his hands full.
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