The 10 best players from each NHL team: The Winnipeg Jets

Neal Pionk has built his reputation as a good offensive defenseman. Is he perfect defensively? No.

Not really, actually.

But his puck skills make him an important player in Winnipeg—especially on the power play, where he’s used on the second wave of his club’s power play.

He’s not the one who makes a lot of noise on the ice, but he can really help the Jets by contributing offensively when needed. He’s not a must-have player, but we’re still talking about an important player for his club.

Adam Lowry isn’t a player who makes other teams drool. But if he wears the C on his jersey in Winnipeg, it’s not for nothing either. He plays with intensity night after night, and that’s what allows him to be the undisputed leader of his team.

He sets an example for his teammates and has a good voice in the room too.

On the ice, we’re talking about a player who can excel in all three zones of the rink… but it’s his leadership that really stands out. A true leader, the likes of which few exist in the National Hockey League.

Another player that has featured on like-minded lists over the last two seasons, I don’t believe Vilardi is a true breakout candidate. That being said, it’s impossible not to acknowledge that it seems that Vilardi has been poised to become an elite point-producing forward over the last two seasons. 

Vilardi set career-highs in almost every statistical category in 2024/25, and Winnipeg is hoping the trend will continue in 25/26.

If Vilardi takes another step this season, he will become a legitimate top-line forward; if not, we’ve already seen his ceiling: a high-end second-line winger.

At 25 years old, he’s the oldest player on this list, and I believe that no matter what happens, this will be the final year we consider Vilardi to be a “breakout candidate”.

Cole Perfetti has featured on breakout lists for the last three seasons; this is his last shot. After regressing in goal totals in 2024/25, Perfetti will get another shot to prove the goal-scoring ability that made him one of the top prospects in the league. 

Perfetti managed a career-high in games played (82) and points (50), but his goal totals fell from the year prior. 

This is the last season of his 2x$3.5 million deal. He signed a two-year bridge contract for a reason – the 2025/26 NHL season will be a career-defining year for Cole Perfetti. 

The Jets will look to Perfetti to be the offensive identity of a second line, most likely centred by Jonathon Toews, one of the best two-way centremen of this generation. 

The Jets expect a 30-goal season from Perfetti, and that’s what it will take for fans to consider it a successful year. 

Kyle Connor is quite the hockey player. His shot is as accurate as it is powerful, allowing him to be consistently dangerous on the ice.

He’s established himself as one of the NHL’s top offensive players, and he’s a deadly one-two punch when he plays on the same line as Mark Scheifele, who also has exceptional skills as a center. The two complement each other perfectly.

And as long as Connor is a member of the Winnipeg Jets, the team will have one of the league’s top players.

Mark Scheifele—like Connor—is one of the NHL’s greatest players. He’s good in the faceoff circle, he can kill penalties, he’s a huge force for his club on the power play… and he’s equally excellent at five-on-five, which makes him extremely reliable for his club every time.

Players like him who average 80 points per season aren’t common in the National League. And that’s perhaps his greatest strength: his consistency.

He’s never slowed down, he consistently has great seasons… and the Jets have the luxury of having an excellent centerman when he’s on the ice.