Post-Mortem: Winnipeg Jets Still Have Lots Of Hope

The Winnipeg Jets looked like a legitimate Stanley Cup front-runner last year. But what a difference a year makes for the 2024-25 Presidents' Trophy champions, who are now eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2021-22. The Jets won nine of their first 12 games this season, but after that, they went 6-19-5 to hurt their playoff hopes.

The death knell for Winnipeg's year essentially came when the Jets went 1-10-4 from early December through early January, sinking to the bottom of the Central Division and Western Conference standings. Although Winnipeg did stage a valiant attempt at a comeback in the second half of the season – going 20-11-7 in that span – it wasn't nearly good enough for them to squeeze into the final wild-card berth in the West. The Los Angeles Kings' win on Monday eliminated the Jets from contention.

What Went Wrong For The Jets? The Jets' puny offense has averaged 2. 81 goals-for this season, which ranks tied for 24th in the NHL.

Last season, the Jets ranked tied for third with 3. 35 goals per game. That's quite the difference.