The Winnipeg Jets are a curious team.
While they're without star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who had knee surgery two weeks ago, this is still largely the same group that won the Presidents' Trophy last season as the NHL's top regular-season team.
And yet, after they lost to the Montreal Canadiens in a shootout Wednesday night, the Jets have gone 2-5-1 after Hellebuyck last played on Nov. 15. Their .313 points percentage in that span is tied for last in the league.
This speaks to Hellebuyck's immense value to the Jets – he is the defending Hart Trophy winner, after all. But scratch beneath the surface, and you'll see that there are clearly multiple other issues that are plaguing Winnipeg right now.
Yes, the Jets have allowed the 11th-most goals against per game during Hellebuyck's absence, while they conceded the eighth-fewest goals per game beforehand. Goalie Eric Comrie has a .891 save percentage and 3.14 goals-against average in seven starts, while Thomas Milic has an .882 SP and 3.65 GAA in two appearances.
But they also have the seventh-worst offense in the NHL since Nov. 16 at 2.50 goals-for per game. And their special teams have also been a problem in that span. Their 15-percent power-play success rate and 78.9-percent penalty-kill rate each rank tied for 20th.
Hellebuyck's injury is projected to keep him on the sidelines until late December or early January. Winnipeg is only two points out of a playoff spot with two games in hand. But this team has too much talent, even without Hellebuyck, to be in this predicament.
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In the highly competitive Central Division, Winnipeg's challenge is considerable and constant. They need to be consistent in a way they haven't been since they came out of the gate 9-3-0. Even a .500 points percentage stretch likely won't push them back to the top of the division.
Some of their challenge falls at the feet of the Jets' secondary scorers.
Only four forwards have at least 0.50 points per game – Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi and Nino Niederreiter – and they need much more production out of players beyond their top line. Veteran center Jonathan Toews is a high-profile addition to the Jets, but the 37-year-old has three goals and nine points in 26 games.
Winnipeg wants more out of the second-line center spot they signed Toews to occupy, but he's been out of the league for two seasons before making his comeback this year.
Clearly, they need more out of their bottom six forwards and from their defensemen other than star Josh Morrissey.
The Jets have $4.28 million in salary cap space – which is projected to balloon to $13.6 million at the March 6 trade deadline. But if they wait too long to spend that cap space, Winnipeg could be stuck closer to the bottom of the Central standings. So Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has to balance his longer-term needs with his immediate goals.
In any case, Winnipeg's focus has to be on either ratcheting up its defensive game without Hellebuyck or getting out of this scoring slump. All NHL teams will only do as well as they can when their key players are healthy and in the lineup, but they have enough skaters right now to get the job done.
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