As the Winnipeg Jets open their 2025 training camp this week, they do so not as scrappy underdogs, but as the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners. A franchise-record 56 wins and 116 points last season rewrote the narrative around this club. The question is no longer if they can compete, but whether they can handle the immense pressure that comes with being the team to beat.
Last year’s incredible run has established a new standard. Now, General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and Head Coach Scott Arniel face the unenviable task of piloting this group through the turbulent skies of a title-contending season, where regression is a constant threat and every opponent circles the date they play the league’s top dogs. As the 55-man roster hits the ice, several compelling storylines will dominate the conversation, offering a preview of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the 2025-26 Winnipeg Jets.
The Hundred-Point Question: Can Kyle Connor Break the Barrier?
All eyes will be on Kyle Connor, and for good reason. The dynamic winger is coming off a career-best 97-point season (41 goals, 56 assists) and enters camp staring down the barrel of a contract year. That alone is enough to fuel a monster season, but the incentives don’t stop there. With the 2026 Winter Olympics on the horizon, Connor is auditioning not just for Cheveldayoff, but for a prime spot on Team USA’s roster. A dominant offensive campaign would make him impossible to ignore.
More tantalizingly, Connor is knocking on the door of a significant franchise milestone. Since the team’s relocation to Manitoba, no player has managed to crack the 100-point plateau. Blake Wheeler came agonizingly close with back-to-back 91-point seasons, but Connor is arguably better positioned than anyone has ever been to finally clear that hurdle. The departure of Nikolaj Ehlers to Carolina, while a significant loss for the team, may inadvertently funnel even more of the offense through the top line of Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Gabriel Vilardi. If that trio finds immediate chemistry and can shoulder the increased load, Connor won’t just be chasing 100 points; he could shatter it. His performance will be a daily barometer for the Jets’ offensive potency.
Between the Pipes: Hellebuyck vs. History
If you’re building a Stanley Cup contender, you start with the goaltender. In Winnipeg, they have the best foundation in the league. Connor Hellebuyck isn’t just the Jets’ MVP; he’s the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner. His 2024-25 campaign was a masterclass in goaltending, posting a staggering 47-12-3 record, a sparkling 2.00 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage, and eight shutouts. He was, without question, the single most valuable player in the National Hockey League.
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Now, he faces a new opponent: history. The primary question surrounding Hellebuyck is whether he can secure a third consecutive Vezina Trophy, a feat last accomplished by the legendary Dominik Hasek from 1997-99. In the modern, parity-driven NHL, such sustained dominance is almost unheard of. While some regression from his otherworldly numbers might be natural, Hellebuyck has every tool at his disposal to make a serious run at the hat trick. The Jets’ defensive structure is his greatest ally. The entire top-four on the blue line—Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, Neal Pionk, and Dylan Samberg—returns, ensuring the system that has allowed him to flourish remains firmly in place. At the team’s annual golf tournament, Hellebuyck appeared calm and focused, betraying no sign that the weight of his hardware is a burden. For the Jets to have any hope of replicating last season’s success, they need Hellebuyck to be Hellebuyck. His quest for a third Vezina will be one of the league’s most captivating individual stories.
Navigating the Perils of High Expectations
The Presidents’ Trophy can be a poisoned chalice. While it signifies regular-season supremacy, it also paints a massive target on your back. The Jets enter this season as bona fide contenders. The challenge now is internal: managing expectations and replacing a key cog in their offensive machine.
The departure of Nikolaj Ehlers leaves a 63-point hole in the lineup, but his impact transcends the scoresheet. Ehlers is a unique, game-breaking talent whose speed and transition play are nearly impossible to replicate. Rather than chasing a splashy, high-priced free agent to fill the void, Cheveldayoff is banking on a “replacement by aggregate” strategy. He brought in savvy veterans Gustav Nyquist and Tanner Pearson to provide stability and secondary scoring, while simultaneously leaving the door open for the next wave of prospects. This sets the stage for one of camp’s most intriguing storylines: can a collection of players truly fill the shoes of one elite winger? The team’s success will depend on the answer, along with their ability to maintain elite special teams play, stave off a significant dip in Hellebuyck’s performance, and, as always, stay healthy.
Jobs on the Line: The Key Battles Brewing in Camp
Beyond the big-picture narratives, training camp is about competition, and several roster spots are legitimately up for grabs. These battles will shape the opening night lineup and the team’s overall depth.
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First and foremost is the comeback story of the fall: Jonathan Toews. The three-time Stanley Cup champion and future Hall of Famer is attempting a return to the league, and his biggest fight will be against Father Time. His presence in the locker room is already being felt—Josh Morrissey has publicly expressed his excitement about skating with a player of Toews’ caliber—but his role on the ice is yet to be determined. Can he still be an effective, two-way center in today’s NHL? His performance will be scrutinized daily.
The forward group will be a hornet’s nest of competition. With the Ehlers spot effectively open, a cadre of young, hungry players will be looking to make their mark. Brad Lambert, with his elite speed, seems poised to finally get a long-term look. He’ll be pushed by skilled prospects like Nikita Chibrikov and Parker Ford, all of whom are vying for NHL minutes ahead of veterans like Pearson, Cole Koepke, and David Gustafsson.
On the back end, a similar battle is brewing for spots on the third defensive pairing. Incumbent Colin Miller will have to fend off challenges from the towering Logan Stanley, the skilled puck-mover Ville Heinola, and promising prospect Elias Salomonsson. Each brings a different element, and the coaching staff’s decision will signal their philosophical preference for that pairing: size, mobility, or youthful potential.
Even in goal, where the NHL tandem of Hellebuyck and the reliable, cost-effective Eric Comrie is firmly set, the competition for positioning in the organizational pipeline will be fierce. Camp will be a proving ground for the goalies of the future, setting the depth chart for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
From individual award chases to heated positional battles, the 2025 Winnipeg Jets training camp is shaping up to be one of the most compelling in recent memory. This is a team at a crossroads, burdened by the success of its past and driven by the promise of an even greater future. The work to turn a historic regular season into the ultimate prize starts now.
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