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Are the Winnipeg Jets Finally Ready for Playoff Glory? NHL Insider Weighs In


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Daniel Lucente
September 28, 2025  (11:30)
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Winnipeg Jets players hug each other after elimination
Photo credit: Edit from The Hockey News

NHL insider Murat Ates believes that despite all of the offseason changes and the loss of some key players, the Jets are still a good, playoff-bound team.

The Winnipeg Jets are 1-2-1 in preseason play, but the larger tale is roster building and direction. Fans are concerned about being ready for the playoffs, discussing age, speed, and overall team fit in the modern NHL.
In acquiring Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist, and Tanner Pearson, while losing Nikolaj Ehlers and Rasmus Kupari, Winnipeg's roster now has an average age of 30.2 years, the second-oldest in the league based on last year.

Edmonton was the NHL's Oldest Team Last Season and Made it to the Finals

Age is not necessarily a detriment, and it is not surprising that last year's oldest team, Edmonton, made it to the Stanley Cup Final. But mobility and pace remain issues.
Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Gabriel Vilardi remain the top line, with Adam Lowry and Nino Niederreiter set to be locked in with Vladislav Namestnikov or Alex Iafallo.
The real adjustment is with the addition of a new second line, with Cole Perfetti, Toews, and Nyquist on it.
Replacing last year's Ehlers-Namestnikov-Perfetti line that bested the other players 24-14 at even strength won't be easy, but this trio will be tasked with at least equalling that. If that occurs without compensation in other areas, Winnipeg can still be among the league leaders in goal differential.
The risk is in the trickle-down effect of reduced tempo. If one line cannot keep pace, it may burden the next line with additional defensive-zone starts, releasing bigger issues.
The Winnipeg roster is older and less speed-oriented, but still based on a core that can be playoff material, according to NHL insider Murat Ates.
"I think Winnipeg's age and pace are noteworthy items - definitely something we should watch. I still think the Jets are a good, playoff-bound team."

- Murat Ates

The question is not whether or not the Jets will play well, but whether their youth and speed will be able to sustain it through an 82-game season.
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Are the Winnipeg Jets Finally Ready for Playoff Glory? NHL Insider Weighs In

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