Finding the silver linings of the Winnipeg Jets' 2025-26 season

The popular idiom “every cloud has a silver lining” is not only tautologically incorrect, but, I believe, intentionally misleading. Meteorologically, not every cloud has a silver lining; in fact, few do. It’s a turn of phrase intended to provide hope when hope might not be in abundance.

That’s what I’ll attempt to do here: provide hope to a Winnipeg Jets fanbase during a season in which it’s been in short supply.

According to MoneyPuck, the Jets have a 4.4% chance of making the playoffs. That seems high, but I won’t quibble with the math. The Jets refuse to tank, so if the season ended today, they would pick sixth overall in the NHL Draft. That would be the Jets’ highest draft selection since Patrik Laine was drafted second overall in 2016—our first bit of good news. More on that later.

So, let’s make some lemonade from the proverbial lemon of the Jets’ 2025–26 season, starting with:

Elias Salomonsson

Called up from the Manitoba Moose following injuries to Neal Pionk, Haydn Fleury, and Colin Miller, Salomonsson has been a steady presence on the Jets’ blue line. “Steady presence” doesn’t sound like much to get excited about, but for the somewhat anemic Winnipeg Jets D-core, it’s tantalizing—especially given he is only 21 years old.

Salomonsson’s measurements are surprisingly difficult to ferret out. Some sites list him at 6'0" and 172 lbs, but newer reports indicate 6'2" and 185 pounds. That’s not an insignificant difference, especially for a defenseman, so let’s go with the latter. Regardless, Salomonsson moves the puck well and holds up in tight areas of the ice.

Measured by expected goal percentage, his partnership with Dylan Samberg has been the second-best among Jets defensive pairings this year at 53.4%. Salomonsson’s presence has also stabilized Samberg, who started the season a bit rusty after returning from injury.

Neal Pionk, who has seemingly vanished—and presumably is enjoying the $7M he will make this year—is objectively not as good as Salomonsson:

Impressive for a player who was buried on the Moose three months ago.

Brad Lambert

Objectively, Lambert’s NHL career has been largely underwhelming thus far. This is where the internet drug “hopium” comes into play. Over the last few games—specifically against the St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins—Lambert has looked good. Not just “fleeting moments” good, but legitimately impactful. The Athletic’s HockeyStatCards bear this out. Against Boston, Lambert factored into the Jets’ only goal and was able to drive some play:

The Jets need speed, and the former 30th-overall draft pick has it in spades; it’s the other parts of his game that need rounding out. The fourth line of Cole Koepke, Morgan Barron, and Lambert is fast—something the Jets have sorely lacked for most of the year.

Mark Scheifele – Kyle Connor – Gabriel Vilardi

Not much needs to be said about the Jets’ big three that hasn’t already been said. Scheifele is having one of his best seasons yet, and Connor and Vilardi have been great. Vilardi is of special note, as moving down to the second line to distribute scoring hasn’t necessarily slowed him down offensively.

With a minimum threshold of 150 minutes played together, the Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi line has the second most Expected Goals For in the NHL, behind only the McKinnon-led top line in Colorado and just ahead of McDavid's line in Edmonton. Literally the best two players in the NHL.

The sixth-overall pick

Picking in this range is no slam dunk. If we look at drafts between 2015 and 2020 (granting time for players to develop) and isolate picks between five and ten overall for truly impactful players, we get the following:

• 2015 – Mikko Rantanen was the Colorado Avalanche’s lottery win at 10th overall, but the close bridesmaid was Zach Werenski at eighth to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

• 2016 – Matthew Tkachuk (6th) and Clayton Keller (7th) were the prizes, with the rest being rather forgettable.

• 2017 – Nothing to see here—except perhaps that Vilardi was the best player taken in this range at 11th overall.

• 2018 – Quinn Hughes was taken seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks and Evan Bouchard by the Edmonton Oilers at 10, so a success by any measure for both teams.

• 2019 – Dylan Cozens (7th) has proven to be a solid centreman for the Buffalo Sabres and now the Ottawa Senators.

There is gold to be mined in these hills of the NHL Draft, but hit rates are spotty. Still, this is a reason for excitement: there are star players to be found in this range.

It’s unknown whether the Jets will want to target defence or secondary scoring. Albert Smits and Carson Carels would be great on the defensive end, while Tynan Lawrence—and my favourite, Viggo Björck—project well at centre. Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are on everyone’s wish list, but as of right now, the Jets are not within range of acquiring them.

Mileage may vary on your optimism for one or all of the above, but there is definitely hope that the Winnipeg Jets will embrace youth and speed for the future. Whether you’re cultivating lemons or staring at the clouds, hope is sometimes in short supply—so it’s best to hold onto it where you can.