Jets’ struggles go beyond injury to Connor Hellebuyck

It looks like the Winnipeg Jets might become the second consecutive Presidents’ Trophy winner to miss the playoffs in the following season.

A year after the New York Rangers did the same, the Jets are 15-21-5 at the halfway point of the season. They’re last place in both the Central Division and the Western Conference as a whole, and they’re 11 points back of the second wild card spot, one that even if they earned would set them up with a first-round matchup against the high-flying Colorado Avalanche.

An injury to reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck did not help matters, but several other noticeable issues have been plaguing Winnipeg all season long.

On Thursdays episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, host Tyler Yaremchuk and co-host and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton were joined by Michael Remis to discuss what’s gone wrong in Manitoba beyond Hellebuyck’s stretch when he was out with injury.

Tyler Yaremchuk: The one thing that’s just been stunning is where the Winnipeg Jets have fallen to through 40-some games this season. Is it as simple as saying the Hellebuyck injury derailed things, or is it deeper than that? Are there more problems with this team?

Michael Remis: The Hellebuyck injury definitely didn’t help during that stretch, but I think you’ve seen a shift in the roster where secondary scoring has completely dried up. Nikolaj Ehlers, you think oh that’s not a huge loss, they’d be able to recover from that, but Namestnikov and Perfetti were with him last year. Their scoring has fallen off. They signed Jonathan Toews and have been playing him at second line center. The production certainly isn’t there. Gus Nyquist was the off-season signing; he doesn’t have a goal yet this season. Their average goals per game is lower third in the NHL, and scoring has been a concern.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…