Winnipeg Jets

For the first time in franchise history, the Winnipeg Jets have secured the Presidents' Trophy.

The Jets claimed the Presidents' Trophy thanks to the Washington Capitals' loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Now that Winnipeg has officially secured the most points this season, here's a look at the updated playoff picture with less than a week to go before the end of the regular season.

Eastern Conference

Toronto Maple Leafs (A1) v. Ottawa Senators (WC1)

Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) v. Florida Panthers (A3)

Washington Capitals (M1) v. Montreal Canadiens (WC2)

Carolina Hurricanes (M2) v. New Jersey Devils (M3)

Western Conference

Winnipeg Jets (C1) v. St. Louis Blues (WC2)

Dallas Stars (C2) v. Colorado Avalanche (C3)

Vegas Golden Knights (P1) v. Minnesota Wild (WC1)

Los Angeles Kings (P2) v. Edmonton Oilers (P3)

The Jets have been arguably the most complete team in the NHL this season, boasting the best goals allowed per game average (2.31) and the third-most goals per game (3.40) this year. They also capitalize on opportunities more than every other team, converting 29.2 percent of their power plays.

Now, Winnipeg is looking to continue that strong play in the postseason.

The Jets have been to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, but has never gotten over the hump of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. Their best finish in franchise history remains their 2018 playoff run to the conference finals.

If there was ever a year to make a deep playoff run, it's this year. Winnipeg has been one of the best teams in the NHL all season and now has a Presidents' Trophy to show for it.

While the Presidents' Trophy is a tremendous feat, it's no indication of success in the playoffs. The last time a Presidents' Trophy winner went on to win a Stanley Cup was in 2013 when the Chicago Blackhawks did it.

The Jets will look to snap the recent cold streak for Presidents' Trophy winners.

Larry Lage of the Associated Press noted this will mark the first time in league history that the Original Six teams that are based in the United States—the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers—will all miss the playoffs.

Rumors of a Rutger McGroarty (drafted 14th overall in 2022) trade were going around as early as the NHL Draft back in June when it was confirmed by Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff that forward McGroarty had no intention of signing with the Jets.

When no trade materialized, the assumption became that McGroarty would return to the University of Michigan for his junior season. However, when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Moose Jaw Warriors forward Brayden Yager (drafted 14th overall in 2023), he immediately signed his entry-level contract with the Penguins.

People like to talk about trades in terms of winners and losers. Looking at it through that lens, it could be argued that the Penguins are the clear winners here. Contrary to what more extreme discussions would have you believe, that doesn't make the trade a loss for the Jets.

They were in a tough spot with McGroarty refusing to sign, and, per remarks from Cheveldayoff, not giving a specific reason other than that it "didn't feel right". When this happens with NCAA players, lack of leverage makes it difficult for teams to get any significant return for the player. Sometimes, they have to let the player walk for nothing after they finish their college career. The Jets getting Yager, who has potential, is a relative win in a difficult situation.

Bottom line? The Penguins got something they needed: a sharp young forward who can contribute now. The Jets also got something they needed: a promising young forward who, while having a longer development runway than the player they traded away, is lightyears better than no asset.

Let's look at the players themselves.

What the Penguins Get in McGroarty

"A winger for Crosby" was the eternal refrain for Penguins fans for a long time. With the rise of Jake Guentzel, it seemed like those days were over. Guentzel's departure made it appear as though those dark times were returning—but with the acquisition of McGroarty, that's no longer the case. Now this, of course, does not mean that McGroarty is locked in to play with Crosby. But he's a young, highly skilled forward.

So he's probably going to end up playing with Crosby.

Regardless of the line he plays on, there's a lot for Penguins fans to look forward to about McGroarty. At 6'1" and 200 pounds, McGroarty has size; more importantly, he knows how to use that size effectively. When discussing the trade, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas called out his "ability, leadership, and competitiveness". McGroarty has all of those things in spades. In addition to being a Hobey Baker nominee, he also snagged spots on the All-Big Ten first team and the All-Big Ten tournament team during his time at Michigan.

One of the most important things to know about Rutger McGroarty is that he is a shark around the net. He's got stellar shooting ability, great instincts, and the ability to use his size to negate defensive play by his opponents, making space for himself instead. At his best, he's relentless, particularly on the forecheck, and his anticipation makes for excellent scoring opportunities.

A longstanding theory of mine is that to be successful next to Sidney Crosby, a player has to have a specific kind of complementary skill. Call it the Kunitz effect; it refers to guys who become more useful next to elite players because they know how to use their skill to elevate the opportunities those players create. We've seen that from McGroarty with guys like Frank Nazar and Gavin Brindley, teammates of his at the University of Michigan.

There's no reason to think he couldn't also do it with Crosby or Malkin.

The biggest concern about McGroarty's game, particularly leading up to his draft year, has been his skating. His skating mechanics are, to put it bluntly, not great, and his posture could do with some work as well. His speed and edge work suffer because of his mechanical issues, which can give him trouble when it comes to keeping up with speedier teammates. Fortunately, he's seen some improvement in that area; whether he improves more remains to be seen, though the amount is likely limited by the fact that he's probably done growing.

His strengths have become stronger to compensate, which is ideal when you're working to shape a player's game—you'd always prefer to bolster their strengths rather than focus on weaknesses—but skating mobility is a significant weakness in today's game. It's a good thing he's a vulture around the net.

What the Jets Get In Yager

Brayden Yager, a two-way center who has repeatedly showcased his scoring ability at the junior level, has the potential to be a good player. That being said, he was also a bit overrated by Penguins fans and pundits.

That's understandable; for a time, Yager was the only prospect of his caliber in the Penguins' system. Recent additions to that prospect pool made him more expendable, but he's still the same player who had 95 points in 57 games last season and was a WHL champion.

Yager is the kind of player who, on his best nights, frustrates opponents with difficult-to-stop shots and passes alike. He's a good skater and reads the ice well, knowing where he needs to be to be most effective and ensuring he gets there. He brings a combination of playmaking and scoring abilities, rather than leaning into one or the other, and he feasts on the power play. It's this last part that can be both a strength and a weakness for him.

A significant concern about Yager's game is whether he can drive play on his own. That's always something you want to see from a center, especially one who people want to project as a top or middle-six player. He's got the playmaking skills, he's got good forechecking abilities. But before we project who he is going to be as a player at the NHL level, it feels important that we see another WHL season from him—one where he is expected to push play himself, and in particular where he cannot lean on former Warriors teammate Denton Mateychuk (CBJ prospect), who will likely spend the upcoming season with the AHL's Cleveland Monsters.

While Yager will probably make a good impression at the Jets' training camp, he is unlikely to see any significant time in the NHL this season. That's for the best, as noted above. He'll also probably need some time in the AHL after his WHL career ends, before he's ready for full-time duty with the Jets. That's a perfectly reasonable development path and one that the Jets can allow him to take. The Penguins didn't have that luxury; they needed someone ready now, and they got him. At the end of the day, this was one of those rare pure hockey trades that benefits both sides.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is the 2024 Vezina Trophy winner.

After becoming the first Winnipeg Jets goaltender to win the Vezina in 2020, Hellebuyck was voted the winner again for the 2023-24 season, as announced June 27 at the NHL's annual awards show in Las Vegas.

The Florida Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky and Vancouver Canucks' Thatcher Demko finished as runners up for the award, which is voted on by general managers.

Hellebuyck had previously claimed the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing an NHL-low 199 goals, including shootout deciders, through 60 starts.

He finished the season with a .921 save percentage and 2.39 goals against average with shutting out opponents five times.

Hellebuyck completed the regular season with five straight wins, including a 30-save shutout of Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche on April 13.

Although the Jets ranked in the middle of the pack with 3.16 goals per game, Hellebuyck's goaltending helped his team finish second in the Central, their highest division ranking since 2019.

A fifth-round draft selection by the Jets in 2012, Hellebuyck has worked as Winnipeg's go-to starter since the 2016-17 season.

He finished as Vezina runner-up in 2018 after leading the league with 44 wins, then won the award in 2020 after recording a dominant .922 save percentage through an NHL-high 58 games played.

After nine seasons with the Jets, Hellebuyck is returning for seven more. Thanks to an extension he signed in October, the reigning Vezina winner is locked in with Winnipeg through the 2030-31 campaign.

With the 14th pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Winnipeg Jets selected right winger Rutger McGroarty out of the University of Michigan.

Two years after making the move and picking the player most believed would be a foundational piece of the team's future, the Jets are preparing to trade their top prospect.

NHL insider Elliott Friedman reported as much on SportsNet's 32 Thoughts: The Podcast and The Athletic's Murat Ates confirmed the story.

Ates wrote, "The league source indicated that McGroarty's view of his long-term future with Winnipeg changed since the conclusion of his NCAA season. Winnipeg wanted to sign McGroarty to a professional contract in April but was unwilling to promise a path to playing time."

This came on the heels of McGroarty's teammates enjoying playing time with Chicago and Columbus. The difference? Those two squads had losing seasons while the Jets were a playoff team that was not going to guarantee a young, unproven talent playing time.

A lack of communication regarding a long-term plan for his playing time, and McGroarty's belief that he was ready to excel in the NHL before team officials did, led to the current situation.

"He no longer believes his future is with the Jets," Ates wrote.

A league source told Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun that it is "not a good look" for the Jets and while there is likely some sort of blame to be assigned to a team that has had similar issues with the development of their draft picks in the past, trading McGroarty is the best decision the organization can make at this point.

McGroarty compiled 52 points this past season with Michigan and has exhibited the raw talent to be a star in the NHL.

Still, from an optics standpoint, the last thing the Jets should want is to get into a public battle with a young player that would ultimately reverberate through the organization and locker room.

If it is clear that McGroarty is not happy and does not see himself playing for the team given the circumstances, which it apparently is, trading him and getting a haul in return before going about business and focusing on a Stanley Cup run is the right decision.

The team needs a top-four defenseman. Perhaps it can get one in a package for the Wolverine.

Facing cap space issues, and with a brand new head coach in Scott Arniel, the team has plenty on its plate this off-season. Letting negativity run wild and potentially affect the club negatively would be a mistake.

Find a partner, execute the deal, and the front office can worry about its pursuit of a Stanley Cup from there.

The Winnipeg Jets announced on Monday that head coach Rick Bowness has retired from hockey after 38 seasons in the NHL.

The 69-year-old was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award this past season, given to the head coach who has "contributed the most to his team's success," after leading Winnipeg to a 52-24-6 record (110 points) and a second straight playoff berth.

During his career, Bowness has served as the head coach of the Jets (1988-89; 2022-23 to 2023-24); the Boston Bruins (1991-92); the Ottawa Senators (1992-93 to 1995-96); the New York Islanders (1996-97 to 1997-98); the Phoenix Coyotes (2003-04) and the Dallas Stars (2019-20 to 2021-22).

He's gone 310-408-48 in his career, leading his teams to five playoff appearances and the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 2019-20 campaign.

He also played for the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and the Jets in his career and served as an assistant coach for a number of franchises.

He hinted at his pending retirement during a press conference on Thursday after the Jets were eliminated from the postseason by the Colorado Avalanche.

"Since my last season in Tampa, every year I sit down and I talk to (his wife) Judy, talk to the kids," he told reporters. "I will talk to [team chairman Mark Chipman] and [executive vice president and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff] and I know what I'm going to do. I know what I want to do. That will come out. We will let you know."

Jets' associate coach Scott Arniel will likely be the favorite to replace him, but a coaching search will now commence in Winnipeg.

It may be a busy offseason for the organization, with six players set to hit free agency. Plenty more turnover could be on the horizon for Winnipeg.

"There are going to be changes," Cheveldayoff told reporters last week. "Changes are inevitable every offseason, whether you want them to happen or you don't want to happen."