On Monday afternoon at 4 p.m., the Winnipeg Jets’ 23- or perhaps 22-player roster to start the 2024-25 season will be officially released by the NHL.
It will be interesting to see how many changes there might be by the time the trading deadline rolls around on March 7.
The Jets have decided to “walk it back.” It’s a phrase or narrative we’ll hear over the next few days, with very few — if any — fresh and new faces expected to be in the Winnipeg lineup when the puck drops for real Wednesday night in Edmonton.
Of course, the negative connotation of “walking it back” would apply to the still stinging five-game first-round playoff exit last spring versus Colorado. And there is plenty of meat on that bone to chew on.
But there should also be a positive version of that thought process, which would speak to 52 wins, 110 points, a sparkling 20-5-1 divisional record, and the NHL’s lowest goals-against total.
I would wonder why any team would want to mess with that level of success. Because that’s what will have to be achieved over the 82-game schedule first and foremost, before we even get into the debate of whether Winnipeg has the pieces to get over a massive hump that has seen them win just two of their last 16 postseason games.
The opportunity for young players that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff referenced all summer long and into training camp was given over these past two-and-a-half weeks.
And while Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, and Elias Salomonsson have all made impressive year-to-year strides, they could also have come up just short of grabbing hold of the proverbial brass ring. For now.
Because if the naysayers are correct about the Jets making a mistake in electing to maintain the status quo, “walking it back” will very likely be replaced at some point with “moving it forward.”