Projecting the Winnipeg Jets’ opening-night roster in 2026, 2027 and 2028

The Winnipeg Jets’ 2026 opening-night lineup is a bigger challenge to predict than any in recent memory.

Not only do the Jets face heightened scrutiny following their playoff miss, but Scott Arniel will also be under heavy scrutiny for the first time in his tenure as head coach. Add the lingering possibility of a Connor Hellebuyck trade, the potential for Viggo Björck to play a substantial role in the lineup and a lack of proven right-shot forwards, and the line combinations are not as obvious as in years past.

Today, we’re adding to the difficulty curve: projecting the Jets’ opening-night lineup for the next three seasons — player by player, decision by decision, with aging curves considered for and against Winnipeg’s top players.

And, since that’s not difficult enough, we will also consider Arniel’s future as head coach. The 63-year-old Jets alumnus finished second in 2024-25 Jack Adams voting, but showed little creativity during Winnipeg’s 2025-26 slide. He also became the subject of late-season conversation between Kevin Cheveldayoff and his leadership group. It was essentially a temperature check: Did Winnipeg’s captain, alternates and other key veterans continue to believe in their head coach? The feedback Cheveldayoff received led to retaining Arniel heading into 2026-27, but coaching was part of the Jets’ tip-to-toe offseason review.

If Winnipeg struggles again, without injuries to blame, and Arniel is unable to offer proactive solutions after a summer to recalibrate, expect more intense scrutiny this season. Winnipeg’s 2026-27 outlook depends on Arniel’s ability to coax great team defence out of a group that struggled last season and to find more scoring via fresh line combinations, strategies or special teams performance.

Could he be bolstered by Björck? Can Cole Perfetti put together a breakout season over the course of 84 games? What about Brad Lambert, Isak Rosén, Elias Salomonsson or other members of Winnipeg’s next wave of talent? Could Garrett Brown or Danny Zhilkin be ready for NHL opportunities as soon as this season, or should we pencil them into our 2027-28 or 2028-29 projections instead?

Opening night: Oct. 2, 2026

We’ve covered a lot of ground on this year’s opening-night lineup, particularly in last week’s review of Winnipeg’s depth chart. Most of the questions are about the veterans.

Will Arniel split Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele? Unlikely. Will he give Adam Lowry, Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov a long leash to re-establish their game following disappointing seasons? Likely, especially in Lowry’s case. Will Winnipeg move off its established defence pairings or make a surprise call-up with Salomonsson not guaranteed to be a full participant at training camp? That’s juicier, although Hellebuyck’s future is the biggest unknown. The Jets can make the playoffs with Hellebuyck on board. Without him, they’d probably need a top-six forward and top-four defenceman back in the deal — plus somebody to share the net with Stuart Skinner.

There are several ways Arniel could upend these projections, ranging from likely (Gabriel Vilardi up top, Lambert on line two, Alex Iafallo on the third or fourth line) to curious (promoting Tyrel Bauer to the NHL for toughness unmatched by other Jets). Zhilkin or Brayden Yager could steal a job if injury strikes (or if Arniel were willing to sit a veteran), and Cheveldayoff could blow it all up with a Hellebuyck blockbuster. It’s also hard to imagine Cole Koepke as a 13th forward for very long, given his impact at the end of last season.

There is also legitimate cause for excitement about at least one young player. Björck is at the front of that class, despite his youth and size, but best-case scenarios for Lambert or Rosén would shake up the forward depth chart. It’s odd in some ways to think of Björck, 18, as the most likely to exceed expectations, but he’s so smart and wins so many of his battles that he stood out at development camp in ways that Colby Barlow, Rutger McGroarty and other recent first-round picks never did.

My best guess? Even the bluest-sky version of Björck’s trajectory saves his best work for his second and third NHL seasons. It’s reasonable to try him in a feature role — what a boon it would be if he excelled while Scheifele were still a point-per-game scorer — but also reasonable to be patient when assessing his quality. There will still be a great case for Björck as a long-term impact player even if he’s not a productive scorer out of the gate. Salomonsson, meanwhile, should be playing like a top-four defenceman by midseason, but it’s not a guarantee that he’s ready for opening night.

As for Hellebuyck, I’ve listed him as the starter, unwilling to guess at a late-August trade.

Opening night 2027-28

Winnipeg can compete for the playoffs in 2027-28 if Björck ascends before Scheifele descends. The addition of a 23-year-old Salomonsson to the Jets’ top pair — ideally with a 32-year-old Josh Morrissey still delivering in the final season of his contract — is also promising.

But everything depends on the outcome of the Hellebuyck trade I expect to take place between now and next season. How else, short of Hellebuyck doubling down on Winnipeg, the Jets somehow drafting Landon DuPont or a successful blockbuster trade, are these Jets meant to push past the first round of the playoffs?

This edition of the Jets desperately needs to sign Morrissey and Dylan Samberg beyond 2027-28 — or to commit to the rebuild made possible by Hellebuyck’s exit.

The green box represents a right wing who can affect the game in all three zones: not an out-and-out superstar, but nothing remotely approaching a question mark. If the Jets have a fast, point-producing player who can help Björck and Perfetti pressure the puck and move it up ice in this spot, then they’re cruising. I’m thinking of someone like Josh Doan, adding power-forward elements to the line’s high-end hockey IQ, just for argument’s sake.

If the Jets are playing Lambert, Rosén or Yager in that position? Well, they’d better have had a breakout season between now and October 2027. Note that we’ve extended 2027 UFA Morgan Barron, but not Niederreiter, Namestnikov, Noah Gregor, Haydn Fleury or Jack St. Ivany. Without Barron, Yager appears to be the Jets’ best bet at a third-line centre. Either way, the 2027-28 Jets need someone like Yager, Zhilkin or Barlow to arrive as a middle-six option, or this forward group struggles to score goals.

I’m unwilling to project a Jets lineup that splits Scheifele and Connor, making one of them a second-line player, but Scheifele will be 34 and Connor 30 when the 2027-28 season begins. It’s hard to believe they’ll keep scoring the way they do now, but they’d create a better sense of legitimacy for this group if they’re still lighting things up. It would also make up for lost goals if Arniel can have a positive influence on their defensive details; without that return to form, he may not be the coach for this job.

I’m projecting that Brown becomes a factor in 2027-28, although Neal Pionk and Dylan DeMelo may stand in his way for playing time. I also expect Sascha Boumedienne to sign his ELC in time for the season, but I’m starting him in the AHL. Bauer is a threat to win a spot, too, and will earn the same amount of money whether he’s in the NHL or AHL in 2027-28.

If Winnipeg’s goal is to stay competitive, Skinner needs help in goal. If not, a tandem with Skinner and a rookie — either Thomas Milic or Domenic DiVincentiis — could help assure a high draft pick, especially if the green box on right wing is filled from within.

Opening night 2028-29

Winnipeg’s battle with Father Time will come to a head three seasons from now. Scheifele will be 35 to start the season. He’s as invested in maintaining his body as any NHL athlete, but time will get to him as it gets to everybody. Connor will turn 32 in December — still a likely offensive threat, with perennial defensive concerns. If Winnipeg has re-signed Morrissey, then its No. 1 defenceman with skating as his most superlative skill is 33 to start the season.

Three seasons from now, the Jets will either be forced to embrace a rebuild, bolstered by poor performances and top-10 draft picks, or Cheveldayoff will have found a way to build a parachute for this team before its performances slide off an aging curve-induced cliff:

The roster you see above has more than 23 roster spots due to more uncertainty in the distant future. It also includes UFA extensions for Morrissey, Samberg and Skinner and likely gives Winnipeg a great deal of unused cap space. Scheifele is listed as a No. 1 centre, but it’s hard to imagine him performing like one at 35. Björck, now 21, is listed as the No. 2 centre, but a best-case scenario makes him an impact player in all three zones. The green mystery box from the Hellebuyck trade remains. Barron remains a factor if the Jets are able to extend him.

Add it all up, and Winnipeg needs somebody to surprise us — whether a top prospect, a new draft pick or Cheveldayoff from the general manager’s chair — or it needs to embrace its next era as a franchise. Its best hopes for that help are Björck taking over at No. 1 centre, Vilardi and Perfetti emerging as stars or an unforeseen elite turn from a top prospect. The prospect pool does have intriguing pieces: notably Kieron Walton, Boumedienne, Kevin He, Zhilkin, Barlow, Brown and Alfons Freij.

The problem is that the best-case versions of those players help replace the middle of Winnipeg’s roster — but not Connor, Scheifele or its other stars. Don’t believe me? Look through past editions of this exercise; back in 2023, we projected 2025-26 NHL jobs for Chaz Lucius, Nikita Chibrikov, Ville Heinola and Declan Chisholm. Even the best-laid plans of ice-bound men sometimes go awry.

Can you build the Jets a better flight path? What would you add to the study? And would you embrace or avoid a rebuild if you were in charge? Let us know in the comments.