Ranking the Winnipeg Jets’ Potential First Round Opponents

That’s without mentioning superstars Cale Makar, who’s got 78 points in 66 games, or Mikko Rantanen, who’s got 96 points on the season as well. The Avs are full of high-end talent, and in a seven-game playoff series, they could run the Jets out of the building fairly quickly.

If the Avalanche have a weakness, it’s their goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. He’s got a stellar 37-15-3 record, but a pedestrian save percentage of .903% (SV%), and a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.80. He has been much better as of late, and with just average goaltending, the Avalanche can easily win a handful of playoff series.

2. Dallas Stars

The Stars, another Central Division rival, come in as the second-toughest opponent on this list. They have an incredibly deep roster from top-to-bottom and have a perfect 3-0 record in games against Winnipeg this season. Headlining that deep roster is Miro Heiskanen, who has recorded 39 assists and racks up 24 minutes on ice (TOI) per game. Thomas Harley has been fantastic this year, anchoring that top pairing alongside Heiskanen. They also added Chris Tanev at the Trade Deadline, further bolstering their defence core for the playoffs.

Up front, their top nine is as good as anyone’s in the league, with Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz leading a dynamic top line with Joe Pavelski. Their middle six consists of players such as Wyatt Johnston, Matt Duchene, Tyler Seguin, and newly added Logan Stankoven. They are a handful to deal with up front, and should be feared come playoff time.

Their biggest weakness is also goaltending, as Jake Oettinger’s SV% has plummeted to .898 percent this season. His GAA is 2.97, and his goals saved above expected (GSAx) is a dreadful -6.4. If the Stars can get good goaltending in the Playoffs, they would be the top team on this list, but Oettinger’s struggles knock them down to number two.

3. Nashville Predators

The Predators haven’t lost a game in regulation since Feb. 15. They are 15-0-2 over that span, a 17-game point streak which is a franchise record. Nobody wants to play them in the first round, plain and simple. The reason they come in at third on this list and not higher, is that I believe they have the highest chance of regressing to where they were before the streak. Having said that, they are the hottest team in the NHL and very well could defeat one of the upper-echelon teams in the first round.

The ‘big three’ in Nashville have dominated all season long, that being Juuse Saros, Roman Josi, and Fillip Forsberg. As of late, they have completely stepped their game up while their depth has supplemented them nicely, resulting in an unbelievable winning streak. Since Jan 22, the Predators have been the top team in the Western Conference with a 17-5-3 record. You never want to play the hottest team in the league in round one, and if the Predators keep up this strong play over their final 11 games, they would absolutely be second on this list heading into the playoffs.

4. Vegas Golden Knights

The defending Stanley Cup Champions? This low on the list? That’s how stacked the West is this season, where the 38-25-7 Golden Knights currently occupy the second wild-card spot. From Oct 10th to the end of Nov, they were the top team in the West with a stellar 15-5-0 record. Since then, they have posted a middling 23-20-3 and have battled a mirage of injuries, most notably with Mark Stone questionable to return for the playoffs.

Despite their struggles, they added Anthony Mantha, Noah Hanafin, and Tomas Hertl at the Trade Deadline, further bolstering their already stacked roster. If Stone gets healthy for the playoffs, and Adin Hill is able to repeat his success from last season’s playoffs, Vegas has as good of a chance as anyone to make it to the Stanley Cup Final, again.

The question marks surrounding their health, combined with the fact they have been a mediocre team since the beginning of Dec, has them come in at fourth on this list. If the stars align perfectly for Vegas, they are as dangerous as anyone, and the Jets would be in for a tough battle if these teams met in the first-round.

5. Los Angeles Kings

Just two points ahead of Vegas are the Kings, who have had their fair share of issues this season. They fired their Head Coach, the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade and contract is looking bleak, and their goaltending has crashed down after Cam Talbot was named an NHL All-Star earlier in the season. Those reasons are enough to make them the least dangerous team on this list, and the most favourable matchup for Winnipeg in round one.

While they are the most favourable matchup, it’s also very unlikely that the Jets get either Vegas or Los Angeles in the first round, as they would likely need to finish as the top seed in the West. Their latest three-game losing streak on their east-coast road trip didn’t do them any favours, as they are now more likely to play one of Dallas or Colorado in round one.

Jets’ Playing Oilers or Canucks in First-Round is Unlikely but Possible

The other two teams in the West are highly unlikely as first-round matchups for the Jets, as the Oilers are all but locked into the second seed in the Pacific Division. The Canucks matchup would only happen if the Jets tailspin into the second wildcard spot, which is almost impossible given they have a 10-point advantage on Vegas with 11 games remaining, but there’s a small chance of that happening. If the Jets were to play either of these teams in round one, or further in the playoffs, they would be up there with Colorado and Dallas as the toughest round-one matchups

Jets Need to Solve Present Issues or They Will Be an Easy Out

One could argue that under the current context, on March 25, the Jets would be the underdog in a series against any of these teams that I mentioned. They are 14-12-1 in their last 25 games and are fresh off of a concerning three-game losing streak where they were outscored 13-4.

There is still hope that their best hockey is ahead of them, as just before that losing streak, the Jets went into Madison Square Garden and defeated the league-best New York Rangers 4-2. Mark Scheifele had a hat-trick, Connor Hellebuyck made 40 saves, and the Jets proved that they could beat a playoff opponent on the road.

If they don’t re-find their stellar defensive structure, they could be an easy first-round exit for one of the Cup contenders who are simply playing better hockey right now. The Jets added Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli at the Trade Deadline, so they made the moves to be in that conversation, but if they don’t string together some great performances in the next 11 games they could have an early offseason.