This is a look at the Winnipeg Jets 2023-24 line projections. It will cover all forward lines, defense pairings, goaltenders, and scratches.
Projected Lineup
F
Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Gabe Vilardi
Nino Niederreiter – Cole Perfetti – Nikolaj Ehlers
Alex Iafallo – Adam Lowry – Mason Appleton
Morgan Barron – Rasmus Kupari – Vlad Namestnikov
S- Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, David Gustafsson
D
Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo
Brenden Dillon – Neal Pionk
Dylan Samberg – Nate Schmidt
S- Logan Stanley
G
Connor Hellebuyck
Laurent Brossoit
Forwards
The Jets went through a pretty large change at forward this offseason. They lost Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler while gaining Vilardi, Iafallo, and Kupari. The expectation is that they will have a bit harder time scoring and are headed towards a rebuild in the future if they continue to lose big pieces. The top line looks just fine for now. I expect Connor to get back to his elite goal scoring. I also think Scheifele could hit a point-per-game again. He did so for six consecutive seasons prior to last season. Vilardi could play center, but he is able to play on the wing. This could see him have a good season.
The second line won’t be great, but it won’t be bad either. If Perfetti is at center, he will have a big task ahead of him. Veterans on the wings will help, but Ehlers is often injured. When healthy, he is very underrated and dangerous. Niederreiter should probably be a third line winger on most teams, but Iafallo could also swap out with him throughout the season.
The third line looks more promising with Lowry once again leading the way. The new captain is reliable and a good player all over the ice, though not flashy. Iafallo can produce and will boost this line for sure. Appleton has to stay healthy to see how much he can really contribute to the Jets.
Like the third line, the fourth line gives the Jets some hope. Kupari and Barron are two talented young players who should move up the lineup eventually. Namestnikov is also very easy to move around the lineup and will be a valuable piece.
Defense
Nothing changed defensively for the Jets over the offseason. Morrissey will still lead the way despite going a bit cold near the end of last season. DeMelo is a solid partner for him on the top pairing, but the team can do better in the future.
Related: Stat Hockey’s Washington Capitals 2023-24 Line Projections
Pionk and Dillon offset each other well and can provide solid play at both ends of the ice. This isn’t a bad second pairing either. As for the bottom pair, Samberg should once again have a spot in the lineup. He’s the youngest defenseman on the team by a wide margin and will only keep getting better. Schmidt fell off a while ago and is stuck on the third pairing until his contract is over. For a third pairing defenseman, he is overpaid, but still relatively effective. In the future, I would like to see more of the talented young d-men get on the team and play every game.
Goaltending
There’s no issues as long as Hellebuyck is around. The problem is he might only make it to the trade deadline. The Jets have Brossoit as a backup and he did well last season in limited action. Hellebuyck will be very good again, but who knows if he’s with the team the entire season. That will become more clear the closer we get to the trade deadline.
