With the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs all but ready to start, the Winnipeg Jets are on the outside looking in, but there is still some value to the final 3 games of the season. With games against the Flyers, Flames, and Kraken, I would expect to see some of the bottom-six players fighting really hard for some job security next year.

The Flyers have had a horrible season they would like to forget, and though I don't have much faith in Chuck Fletcher's ability to turn this team around, they have lots of strong pieces to build off of. The Jets will look to take advantage of the struggling Flyers, and though the Jets have been struggling (1 win in their past 5 games), I think this will be a strong showing for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck should be getting the start, and as I mentioned above, and will get to, there is a lot of names in the lineup that are working for a job next season.

The Jets also go up against the Flames, who have been having a fantastic season. It is hard to talk about the Flames, and not mention the extraordinary season their top line is having. With two games remaining:

Johnny Gaudreau 39G, 74A, 113P, +63
Matthew Tkachuk 41G, 61A, 102P, +56
Elias Lindholm 41G, 40A, 81P, +60

And you might as well throw in Mangiapane, who has 35 goals himself.

These 4 players are extremely hungry to finish the season strong. That, as well as Jacob Markstrom playing fantastic, this will be a tough game to win. I would definitely wonder if Dan Vladar gets the start against the Jets, to give Markstrom a bit of a break to close out the year, but regardless, the Jets will have a tough night.

To close out the season, the Jets will play Seattle on Sunday, which should be an entertaining game. Both teams struggling, but have players who can make a difference. After the game was postponed due to weather, the NHL's final game of the year will be meaningless in the standings, but still enjoyable none-the-less. There isn't a ton to talk about for this game yet, until we know more about who may play, and whatnot.

All in all, the Jets will definitely not be in tank mode for the final 3 games, even though it could result in a bit better odds for a higher draft pick, the value of the players playing as hard as they can is worth more. Players such as Svechnikov and Barron are still trying to set their future in the NHL in stone, as they haven't had a ton of success in their careers so far, but Barron is looking promising, and Svechnikov had a good year, he was signed late in the offseason on a PTO.

While I don't imagine any of these guys have a hard time getting onto a roster, players like Sanford, Appleton, and Stastny are still fighting for their value. Sanford had a tough time in Ottawa, but has looked decent here in Winnipeg, Appleton is someone the Jets are absolutely looking to re-sign, and they want to keep that number low due to some big contracts still being on the books (this is a conversation for next week, maybe?), and Stastny is looking to stick around in the NHL, which he should have no problem doing.

There isn't a ton to talk about today, but I will be active in the comments for most of the day to keep the discussion going. Once the season is officially over, I will have articles on the Jets Individual Awards from this year, how the cap should be dealt with this summer, how drafting and free agency should go, and lots more.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I hope you all have a great day, take care!

Jacob

Join the Discussion: » 44 Comments » Post New Comment

» Jets Announce Lowry as Captain, Chisholm Extension

» Winnipeg Jets Prospect Pyramid: 2023 Edition - Part One

» Rasmus Kupari Could Develop into More Than 4C

» Jets Need to Make Decisions on Defense; Mailbag Incoming

» Jets Sign Morgan Barron, 2x$1.35 million, 3 contracts left