Jets on the outside looking in at season’s quarter mark Trademark consistency, attention to detail noticeably absent after hot start By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 4:35 PM CST Monday, Nov. 24, 2025

As it stands right now, the Winnipeg Jets are a bubble team.

That’s what Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo essentially said without actually using those exact words in the wake of Sunday’s 3-0 loss that left his team at 12-9-0.

“We are exactly what our record says we are,” DeMelo surmised.

DeMelo hit the nail on the head at the end of his analysis of where things stand just past the quarter point of the regular season.

There are a multitude of reasons this edition of the Jets is not sitting atop the NHL standings and looking down at the other 31 teams after a historic start.

The trademark consistency and attention to detail, specifically on the defensive side of the puck, has been noticeably absent for a good chunk of the first quarter of the season.

It’s not that the Jets have forgotten how to play the system that made them the toughest team to score on in each of the past two seasons, they simply haven’t been as committed to it.

“We are exactly what our record says we are.”

Inopportune breakdowns are occurring more often and the inability to win one or two extra battles has often been the difference in those tight games the Jets were so quick to lock down in the recent past.

As Jets head coach Scott Arniel was quick to point out when asked about the lack of consistency compared to last season, a number of key injuries have certainly played a role — both in terms of results both from game to game and within them, especially when it comes to the second-period stumbles that has shifted the momentum dramatically at times.

The issue for the Jets is that the injuries keep piling up, most recently with goalie Connor Hellebuyck (out four-to-six weeks with a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery on Saturday) and defenceman Neal Pionk, who left Sunday’s game in the first period with a lower-body issue.

The Jets were off on Monday, so an update on Pionk’s status for the upcoming five-game road trip won’t be available until Tuesday, but given how gingerly he was moving around at times on Sunday, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s on the shelf for at least a few games here.

There’s room on the roster for the Jets to recall a defenceman from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, even if for insurance purposes, so expect one of Elias Salomonsson, Kale Clague or Ville Heinola to get the call if required.

The Jets also played significant portions of the opening quarter without defenceman Dylan Samberg (who missed 16 games), winger Cole Perfetti (16 games), captain Adam Lowry (14 games) and forward Morgan Barron (six games).

No doubt that’s had an impact on the results, but these Jets have prided themselves on finding solutions to the things that are ailing them and this latest round of adversity needs to be met head on.

“The only pressure we have is what we put on ourselves,” said DeMelo, asked about where the Jets find themselves in the standings currently. “At the end of the day, if we win the next game or lose it, it doesn’t matter in regards to the season. It isn’t going to be done. We still have a long way to go. It’s more of the process, and I think that’s our concern as a team. I don’t think we are playing the way we want to play.”

How can the Jets get back to the way they want to play?

How do they get closer to the team that started 9-3 before going 3-6 to pass the quarter point?

That’s where things get interesting.

There’s been plenty of chatter surrounding the speed element of the Jets’ game.

The Jets aren’t playing as fast as they were last season, which isn’t a big surprise when it comes to the departures of Nikolaj Ehlers, Mason Appleton, Brandon Tanev and Rasmus Kupari up front.

The guys coming in mostly feature age, experience and size.

To me, what’s been ailing the Jets has less to do than straight line speed than it does with not playing fast enough.

The other thing that hasn’t been discussed enough is that the Jets haven’t been nearly as disruptive on the forecheck and that lack of creating chaos has led to more one and down situations.

“The only pressure we have is what we put on ourselves.”

It also means the Jets are spending more time defending and that’s caused an increase in breakdowns to the system.

The Jets also haven’t played as fast in the neutral zone and their back pressure was essential in creating a number of goals off the rush last season.

Special teams have mostly been good, though allowing backbreaking shorthanded markers in consecutive games was also a factor in losing to the Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild.

It’s not surprising the Jets dipped a bit on the power play, sitting ninth in the NHL going into Monday’s action (23.9 per cent) — though some regression from being the top unit for nearly all of last season was expected.

The penalty kill has made gains, jumping from 13th to sixth while operating at 83.8 per cent efficiency (an even more impressive number when you consider the time missed by Samberg, Lowry and Barron).

The Jets are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for 11th in the NHL in goals for per game (3.14), but they have already been shutout three times in 21 games this season — after getting blanked just once in 95 games last season, including the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Five-on-five scoring has been a concern, with the Jets recording 40 goals but allowing 39.

The other issue the Jets need to solve quickly is the lack of secondary scoring on a consistent basis.

The Jets’ top line of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi have outscored opponents 17-12 at five-on-five and have taken care of the bulk of the scoring at even strength.

Offence from the defence is on the rise, with Josh Morrissey putting together a start worthy of Norris Trophy consideration.

Even as his seven-game point streak came to an end on Sunday, he’s generating more than a point per game while playing heavy minutes and defending well on the top pairing.

His five goals leads the Jets’ defence corps that has three from Logan Stanley and one each from Pionk and DeMelo.

But the Jets are going to need more production from the middle-six to get themselves back on track.

During the past nine games, the Jets have been shutout twice and been limited to 22 goals — an average of 2.44 per game (a sharp contrast from the overall average of 3.14 through 21 games).

The reason for the dropoff is fairly easy to detect, as the Jets have two goals from Alex Iafallo and one goal each from Nino Niederreiter, Cole Perfetti, Jonathan Toews and Lowry.

This isn’t about one player hitting a dry spell, it’s about the collective coming together to deliver results.

The search for the optimal permutations and combinations is ongoing and the Jets have several players who need to find their offensive mojo.

If they can do that, while buckling down defensively, the conversation surrounding the Jets could shift as they approach the midway point.

But for the time being, the Jets find themselves in the midst of a fight for a wild card spot as they go to work on solidifying their identity.

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