The Winnipeg Jets: Three Things that Went Wrong Last Season

The Winnipeg Jets had an improbable run into the Western Conference Finals this past season, and for that, a lot of things had to break right.  Some things, however, broke wrong.

The Winnipeg Jets had a great season, and we went into a few of the reasons why, and hey,  those were good reasons. You don’t get to 114 points without good fortune. No team, however, is immune from bad luck.

You just gotta try to mitigate it and have that depth to cover the bad breaks. The Winnipeg Jets definitely had that depth. But what went wrong?

The Presumed Starting Goalie

Steve Mason was signed to a two year, $8.2MM contract. That’s not backup money. The Jets expected Mason to handle most of the work between the pipes while grooming Connor Hellebuyck to (hopefully) take over afterwards. Maybe the two would both play well and split time.

By the end of the season, maybe you’d have a nice little timeshare. We knew the Jets liked Hellebuyck, but even they could not have predicted his rookie season. But Mason was…well, awful to start the season. He allowed 16 goals in his first three games.

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Connor Hellebuyck had three good starts to begin, and bam, he was the starter. Steve Mason also dealt with some concussion issues later in the season, suffering two within two months. Not a great situation for the man, and, hockey aside, we wish Mason all the best.

He came back after the second one, so hopefully he’s healthy and without issue. Mason had a decent stretch in the middle of the season, but after the concussions, he didn’t play well again.

Mason is a big conversation the Jets need to have. A cap hit of $4.1 million for an unsteady backup on a Stanley Cup contender isn’t great. This is also a team with a lot of cap space that’s going to be eaten up soon. This offseason alone, Hellebuyck, Jacob Trouba (more on him later) and Josh Morrissey are RFAs. Maybe they decide they can’t afford Mason if he can’t play well. We shall see.

The Erstwhile Third Line Center

Bryan Little is a lifetime Winnipeg Jet (Well, and Atlanta Thrasher) and is also the team’s longest tenured player. He’s always been a solid player and a no doubt #2 center, especially on some of their weaker squads.

Little was pushed to the third line with the acquisition of Paul Stastny, who is a UFA this offseason. So this is a big decision, now that this team is without Stastny and with an underperforming Little. He shouldn’t be getting old, as he’s just thirty, but he’s dealt with injuries the past few years.

HOWEVER, his Corsi% dropped to its lowest number since the 2012 lockout shortened season, although it was still solid at 50.6%. He also scored just 43 points in 82 games. Last season, he scored 47 points….in just 59 games. The year before, 42 points in 57 games. Consistency!

Only, when you play a full season, you should probably score more than you did in 25 fewer games. Little seemingly was a forgotten man among all the Winnipeg Jets success. Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele took most of the offensive spotlight.

So, it’s not so much about Bryan Little’s healthy and weak season, as the Jets can survive without him. Sure would be nice if he played well, however. No, it’s more about his $5.3MM cap hit for the next six seasons. Little isn’t at buyout level yet, but the Jets need that cap space. If his play doesn’t improve, he’ll be a real problem.

The Disgruntled Defenseman

Jacob Trouba has long been facing trade speculation with the Winnipeg Jets. His play has always been really good, he’s just 23. He’s right handed, which is a nice market inefficiency. Trouba is the Jets’ top pairing defenseman on the right side, and he’s an RFA this season.

He’s looking for a new, big deal, and the Jets damn well better give it to him. Trouba has been vocal about wanting to get a deal done. The Winnipeg Jets seemed like they might trade him for a few years, there, but now that they’re a slam-dunk contender, they can’t afford to lose him.

Jacob Trouba is the team’s best defenseman. Dustin Byfuglien is amazing, but he’s gonna need his rest moving forward. His style is too physical and he’s been playing forever. Tyler Myers is great and massive, and Josh Morrissey is a hell of a player. But Jacob Trouba is their best defenseman.

Only, he dealt with an ankle injury that kept him out for twenty games. Upon his return, he suffered a concussion.  Trouba missed time with an injury last season, as well. The Winnipeg Jets can’t screw this one up.

Yes, it seems like an obvious call to give Trouba the money. You need the defenseman and you’re not going to get what you deserve for him at this point, especially someone you can plug into the roster now. But if Trouba’s early career injury troubles don’t subside, it’s going to be a real problem.

Injury prone players don’t tend to age well. Is Trouba one of those injury prone players? Hard to say. But I bet the Winnipeg Jets wished they got a full season of Trouba to evaluate. It’s a tough spot.

Next: Bringing the Cup Back to Canada

Hey, when you had a season this good, these are usually the problems you face. Future Jet problems. That’s why you trade away first round picks for the playoff run. Hopefully the Jets figure all these out.