Jets' Trade Targets & Hellebuyck Deserves Hart Votes
Also, a look at the prospects in the CHL, injuries looming over the Jets & more!
Welcome to the THW Winnipeg Jets Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Jets writers.
In today’s edition, we have a look at the case for Hart Trophy votes for Connor Hellebuyck, the need for another center, the importance of the All-Star break for the Jets, and more!
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Now on to the good stuff…
Banged-Up Jets Badly Need NHL All-Star Break
January 27, 2024 by Declan Schroeder
The Winnipeg Jets are about to have nine days off, and do they ever need every day of the break.
After facing the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 27, they won’t be back in action until Feb. 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins as the NHL All-Star Game and all the related festivities take place Feb. 1 through Feb. 3.
Jets Prospect Round-Up: Barlow, Levis, Julien & DiVincentiis
January 27, 2024 by Jacob Billington (THW Paid Premium Content)
The Winnipeg Jets are one of the NHL’s best teams but also have one of the best prospect pools in the league. While they don’t have many prospects in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), they have some pretty big names there.
4 Second-Line Centre Trade Targets for the Jets
January 26, 2024 by Connor Hrabchak
The Winnipeg Jets have proved through 46 games this season that they are legitimate contenders in the Western Conference. With that comes an opportunity to bolster their lineup with a trade near the Trade Deadline to increase their odds of winning the Stanley Cup.
With Mark Scheifele having missed the past five games, the need for a second-line centre was exposed, as Adam Lowry was forced to slide up to the top line where he struggled alongside Nikolaj Ehlers and Gabriel Vilardi. Vladislav Namestnikov has filled at second-line centre, but similar to Lowry, having him in the bottom-six would further enforce the Jets’ elite depth and give them the best chance to win the ultimate prize. Here are four second-line centre targets the Jets’ could target over the coming weeks through Trade Deadline season.
Connor Hellebuyck Is a Hart Trophy Contender This Season
January 22, 2024 by Connor Hrabchak
In recent years, the NHL’s Hart Memorial Trophy for the most valuable player has been dominated by skaters. However, Connor Hellebuyck has been the best goaltender in the NHL this season by a fairly decent margin, and is on pace to set career highs in a handful of statistical categories. While he is currently the favourite to win the Vezina Trophy for the NHL’s best goaltender, his play of late should build some traction from the national media for the NHL’s MVP award.
Before I dive into Hellebuyck’s case, I should make my thoughts clear: I don’t believe Hellebuyck should be the outright front-runner for the Hart Trophy. Players such as Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, and Connor McDavid, all have very strong cases for the award. This article will focus on why his name should be right up there beside those players as we move past the midway point of the 2023-24 season.