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3 early Jets trade candidates after missing 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
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- 3 early Jets trade candidates after missing 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
3 early Jets trade candidates after missing 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Winnipeg Jets missed the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs just one season after winning the Presidents' Trophy. Even a late-season surge could not get them into the Wild Card race, finishing with 82 points. The Jets should be making offseason trades, and Connor Hellebuyck 's recent comments have the best goalie in the world firmly in the rumor mill.
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The Jets do not have any extra draft picks to speak of in the near future. With their difficulties in attracting star free agents well-documented, they have to draft and develop their top players to keep contending. Similar to the small-market MLB teams, it is going to be easier if they trade their veteran players at the right time. That time is now for Hellebuyck and a few other players.
Who should the Jets trade this offseason?
Connor Hellebuyck would fetch a historic haul
Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Considering the greatness of the top teams in the Western Conference, the Jets have an uphill battle to be the Stanley Cup Final representative in the coming years. With Hellebuyck turning 33 before next season, his prime is on its final leg. But he proved at the Olympics that he is the best goalie in the world , and plenty of teams would pay up to get him.
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Hellebuyck has a full no-movement clause, so he would have to want to leave the Jets. "What we did this year was unacceptable, and no one wants to be a part of that," Hellebuyck said after the season. "Where do we go from here, and what's the next step?" So that no-movement hurdle may not be too tall.
The Jets would have plenty of teams banging down the door to land Hellebuyck. The Vegas Golden Knights would obviously be among them, but they don't have the future assets Winnipeg should be asking for. A few hundred miles west, the Edmonton Oilers should be in this conversation as well. A package of Edmonton's 2028 first-rounder, top forward prospect Tommy Lafrenière, top goalie prospect Connor Ungar, and Tristan Jarry for salary would make sense.
The Jets should trade Gabriel Vilardi after a career year
The Jets landed Gabriel Vilardi in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2023 offseason. Considering they dealt Pierre-Luc Dubois in that deal and Vilardi just scored 30 goals this year, that trade worked for Winnipeg. Vilardi will be 27 on opening night next year, which means his prime can be spent on another team.
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The Jets just extended Vilardi , and it would be tough to trade him after a 30-goal season. But if they are trading Hellebuyck, the rebuild is in full force. And considering Vilardi does not have any trade protection, it would be easy to shop him around and get the best offer. A team is going to be eliminated this postseason because of a lack of depth scoring, and that is where Winnipeg should look.
The Ottawa Senators have been shut down by the Carolina Hurricanes ' defense so far in the playoffs. There will be plenty of Brady Tkachuk rumors this offseason, but they can make those go away by buying in on this core and trading for Vilardi.
A rebuild means a Josh Morrissey trade
The Jets had more than just Hellebuyck representing the team in the Olympics. Josh Morrissey did not play much in Milan thanks to an injury , but he was a part of Team Canada's defensive corps. At 31 years old with two years left on his deal, he is the perfect fit on a team trying to win the Stanley Cup. And if that is not the Jets, they have to trade him this offseason.
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In 77 games this season, Morrissey put up 55 points, his lowest total since the 2021-22 season. Part of that was a poor powerplay from the Jets this season, bringing his powerplay point total down from 22 to 16. A team with a powerplay issue, like the Philadelphia Flyers or Los Angeles Kings, would be wise to kick the tires on Morrissey.
The Jets have put together some strong seasons in recent years, but it is time to start the rebuild after a miserable season. These three trades will hurt in the short term, but will help Winnipeg put together a competitive core in the near future.
