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Winnipeg Jets: Remembering the Best Season in Franchise History

By Kyle McCarthy

WINNIPEG, MB - MAY 20: Blake Wheeler #26, Patrik Laine #29 and Bryan Little #18 of the Winnipeg Jets react following the final buzzer in a 2-1 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the Western Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 20, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Knights win the series 4-1. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - MAY 20: Blake Wheeler #26, Patrik Laine #29 and Bryan Little #18 of the Winnipeg Jets react following the final buzzer in a 2-1 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the Western Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 20, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Knights win the series 4-1. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Only twice in their seven years has this iteration of the Winnipeg Jets franchise reached the playoffs. This was the only time they’d won a game. Their previous iteration, the current Arizona Coyotes? They’ve never won the Cup, in Winnipeg or out of it.

The Winnipeg Jets had a very good season. They did not reach the Stanley Cup Finals. They did not win the President’s Trophy. But! They did have the second most points in the regular season. And a franchise goaltender was born.

Their young players took steps forward. The older players had great seasons. The bested the league’s top team, the Nashville Predators, in a brutal seven game series. They just couldn’t beat the Vegas Golden Knights.

That makes this season end on a sad note, but we should all look at it fondly.  The Sporting News  had them ranked 17th in their power rankings before the season started. Their blurb says that they have a ‘shaky defense corps’ and ‘Steve Mason should provide them just enough quality goaltending’.

It added they thought it possible the Winnipeg Jets would hang around the playoff chase, and hang around they did. They made a big addition at the trade deadline, Paul Statsny. This wasn’t supposed to go like this, is all I’m saying.  It’s great that it did.

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Am I disappointed the Jets couldn’t bring Lord Stanley’s Mug to Winnipeg for the first time ever? Or home at all for the first time since I was two years old? Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean I’m disappointed with the season as a whole — or the Jets as a whole —  however.

Instead of focusing on their ouster from the playoffs, I choose to remember the good things about the Winnipeg Jets’ season.

First, Kyle Connor, the 21 year old rookie, scoring 31 goals almost out of nowhere. Well, not really out of nowhere, he dropped 25 goals in 52 games in the AHL the previous year, but it was a heck of a debut.

Second, Patrik Laine leading the league in powerplay goals, and second in total goals with 44, in just his age 19 season. Ridiculous. The kid may have been mediocre in the playoffs, but hey, when I was twenty, I was bussing tables, not scoring goals in the NHL Playoffs. I’m still not doing that,  but whatever.

Third, Josh Morrissey turning from an interesting young defenseman to a legit top 4 guy. Maybe even a true top pair defenseman. His game really transformed into rock solid defense, and he’s just turned 23. I could go on and on. The good stories go on for days for this team.

And finally, who could forget our American Hero. Setting the record for wins by an American born goaltender in his first full season. Earning a Vezina nomination, and maybe even the trophy, in that same first season. Solidifying the goalie position after Steve Mason struggled through being awful, and later being injured.

Connor Hellebuyck is reason #1 the Winnipeg Jets made the playoffs and made some noise. Not every team can churn out a top flight goalie with a ‘shaky defense corps’. Thing is, the Jets weren’t supposed to be here. I’m not trying to rip on the prognosticators, I couldn’t have predicted this either.

Nobody should have predicted this, that’s the thing. The Jets surprised and blasted expectations. A promising young team arriving a year or two early, that’s all.  But the best part is: Arriving a year early means they’re still young and this good. Now KevChev and co will have to figure out how to improve the great core they have.

Things have changed. You’re not trying to add a few pieces to help the young kids grow, you’re trying to add pieces that will help you win a championship next season. And that’s well within reach.

Next: Winnipeg Jets Go Out With a Whimper

Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, but this was a great season for the Jets. Sure they couldn’t close the deal, but things look bright enough in the future that they’ll have plenty of chances in the coming years. And that’s pretty great.

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