The Winnipeg Jets are bleeding, and the silence from the front office is deafening. With secondary scoring vanishing and the standings slipping, General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is staring down a franchise-altering decision: go all-in to salvage the season or pull the chute and tank for a shot at the 2026 draft lottery.
The clock is ticking. While the “Chevy” way has traditionally been one of patience and draft-and-develop loyalty, Paul Friesen of The Winnipeg Sun argues that the time for patience has expired. The Jets’ fortunes are sagging, and the lack of production from the bottom six is threatening to derail the prime years of the core roster. The St. Louis Blues proved last season that a mid-year retool can catapult a team from the basement to the playoffs, but that requires decisive action—something Jets fans are desperate to see.
The Secondary Scoring Drought: Can Cheveldayoff Fix It?
It is no secret that the Jets are top-heavy. When Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, or Josh Morrissey aren’t lighting the lamp, the offense grinds to a halt. This lack of depth is the primary culprit behind the team’s recent struggles.
The trade market is already heating up with names like Andrew Mangiapane and Kiefer Sherwood swirling in the rumor mill. Mangiapane would bring the grit and scoring touch this lineup desperately lacks, while Sherwood offers energy and pace. However, the sticking point remains the price. The Jets have burned significant draft capital in previous years chasing rentals; does Cheveldayoff have the stomach—or the assets—to pay the premium asking price for a top-six fix right now?
The Nuclear Option: Selling for 2026
If a deal doesn’t materialize, the conversation shifts to a much darker reality: The Tank.
If the Jets slide further by the February Olympic break, the strategy could pivot aggressively toward “selling.” This would involve liquidating pending UFAs—names circulating in the rumor mill like Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist—to stockpile assets.
The logic here is brutal but pragmatic. By selling early and tanking the remainder of the season, the Jets improve their odds in the 2026 Draft Lottery. It’s a bitter pill for a fanbase that wants to win now, but it might be the only way to re-stock a cupboard that is looking increasingly bare.
Expert Insight: Here is the harsh reality: The internal solutions do not exist. I’ve been tracking the AHL Manitoba Moose closely, and the narrative that we can simply “call up the kids” is a fallacy. The top offensive prospects in the system are currently scoring less at the AHL level than the struggling NHL veterans they would be replacing. You cannot ask a prospect to save a sinking ship when they haven’t dominated the minors yet. Cheveldayoff has boxed himself in; he either overpays for a trade now or he admits defeat and looks to the 2026 NHL draft. There is no middle ground anymore.
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The post Winnipeg Jets at the Crossroads: The Case for Buying vs. Selling appeared first on NHL Trade Rumors.
