A successful road trip for the Winnipeg Jets could set themselves up well for April. It is when the games really start to matter. Winnipeg has been firing on all cylinders to begin their season. They are only 20 games into the 2024-25 campaign. The Jets sit 11-points clear of teams on the outside looking in on the playoff race. Having split the opening two of six games in a long, challenging road trip (defeating Pittsburgh 4-1 on Nov. 22nd, losing to Nashville 4-1 on Nov. 23rd) Winnipeg could position themselves rather comfortably in the Central Division.
The final four game of the road trip are as follows: Nov. 25th @ Minnesota, Nov. 27th @ Los Angeles, Nov. 29th @ Vegas, and Dec. 1st @Dallas. As it currently stands, all four are teams occupying playoff positions; this is why this road trip could bare massive implications on the remainder of their season. Four wins would undoubtedly extend their lead within the division (especially with a victory over Minnesota) and have the Jets on a collision course with some individual hardware and flexibility come springtime. Here is what could await Winnipeg in early 2025 if this road trip ends successfully.
Looking Towards the Jets Road Trip
Awards
It is hard to imagine a goalie being able to compete with reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck for this years’ Vezina. The league leader in shutouts (3) also boasts top-five statistics in goals against average and save percentage. He also finds himself in the top-five in shots faced, a place he’s carved out year after year. Combine that with being the league leader in minutes played, Hellebuyck is without a doubt a workhouse in net. If this level of play continues through this tough stretch of games for Hellebuyck, he will be a shoe-in as the starter for Team USA at the 4 Nations Faceoff and drive him towards yet another Vezina Trophy.
As well, Scott Arneil has done an admirable job with this team. After taking the reigns from longtime coach Rick Bowness, Arneil appears to pushing all the of the right buttons for a roster that is essentially a carbon copy of their one a year ago. He has Nikolaj Ehlers on a career-year trajectory, a much maligned defense corps producing at an elite clip, and has seemingly created the deepest four lines in the Western Conference. Every single regular in their lineup has scored except for Dylan Demelo. That’s impressive.
It’s unfathomable the success Arneil has been able to conjure two months into the season. It is no surprise he is the favourite to win the Jack Adams Award and road wins over Minnesota, Vegas, and Dallas would prove to critics that this rendition of the Winnipeg Jets are built differently; the man responsible would be Scott Arneil.
Flexibility:
Finally, a continuation of this run could bode more than individual accolades for this team. It could provide their staff with a flexibility they did not have in years past. As mentioned, Connor Hellebuyck is a workhorse for the Jets; in previous seasons, they have needed to squeeze every bit out of Hellebuyck to get them into the playoffs, where the club has crashed out early. However, 2024-25 could be much different in Winnipeg. If this run stretches further into the bulk of the season, the team may be able to ease off of Hellebuyck and use backup Eric Comrie more frequently. Hellebuyck has been a shell of himself in the playoffs the last few seasons and a reason why is his overuse in the regular season. It appears he runs out of gas come the playoffs. Now, a prominent lead in the conference can open up a more balanced playing schedule for Hellebuyck and have him fresh when the games really matter, not running on fumes.
Looking Ahead
Despite a slight hiccup against the desperate Predators, the gauntlet begins in Minnesota on Nov. 25. A reset and a string of wins to close out the next week of play will make it a successful road trip for the Winnipeg Jets. A stranglehold on the Central division, the Vezina Trophy, and the Jack Adams Trophy would be amongst the cargo flying back to Winnipeg as well.
Main Photo: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
