Preparing for takeoff Five lessons the Jets can learn from the ’Canes Stanley Cup run By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 6:28 PM CDT Tuesday, Jun. 16, 2026

Now that Lord Stanley’s mug has been handed out, the Winnipeg Jets off-season kicks into high gear over the next two weeks (and change).

With the NHL draft is right around the corner and for teams picking in the Top 10, the lists are close to final, even if some massaging might still take place.

Trades will be made, and free agents will be wooed — and lessons can be learned from the Carolina Hurricanes’ Cup run.

The ’Canes were a juggernaut this season, boasting incredible depth and a relentlessness in all three zones matched by few teams around the league. The club played a stifling brand of team defence, yet found a way to attack offensively with an incredibly high shot volume.

And — if there was a breakdown in defence — solid goaltending came to the rescue, whether that was veteran Freddie Andersen picking up the first 13 wins of the playoffs or Brandon Bussi (who had 31 wins during the regular season) coming on in relief to seal the deal.

Given how the Hurricanes have been built by general manager Eric Tulsky and his staff and how they’ve been coached by Rod Brind’Amour, Carolina looks like a group that is going to be a problem for the rest of the NHL for years to come.

Andersen is the most notable pending unrestricted free agent from a list that includes veteran blue-liner Mike Reilly (who appeared in two post-season games) and glue guy Nic Deslauriers (who played sparingly in one).

Here are five things for the Jets to note from Carolina’s Cup run:

Unlocking the dynamic Dane’s potential

It was quite a scene that unfolded as former Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers was asked about his time in Winnipeg by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman as the Cup celebration was ongoing.

The emotion was palpable, as Ehlers shared a thought for the organization and fan base he left last summer.

But the guy known as Fly flourished under the tutelage of Brind’Amour and rewarded Tulsky’s faith in him by being the dynamic game-breaker the Hurricanes had identified as a target years earlier. He then rewarded the faith of his bench boss by showing he could be counted on defensively when games were on the line as well.

After a slow start to the season, Ehlers found his groove, finishing the regular season with a career-high 71 points in 82 games before adding eight goals and 18 points — including the final marker in Game 6 — in what was easily his most productive playoff run.

The Jets obviously recognized it’s 2014 draft pick as a top-tier talent, but the inability to incorporate him regularly on the top power-play unit prior to his final season was a misstep that could have easily been avoided. This spring reinforced that Ehlers didn’t necessarily need to be given top-line minutes to thrive, but enhancing his role and increasing his responsibility years earlier may have extended his tenure with the club.

Replacing Ehlers’ production should remain a collective effort, and adding a top-six winger must be near the top of Kevin Cheveldayoff’s wish list.

 

The regular season (kind of) matters

There has been lots of chatter around these parts about the significance of winning during a regular season that is about to expand to 84 games.

For the crowd that still believes getting in is the only thing that matters, the Hurricanes were the top team in the Eastern Conference with a record of 52-22-7 and 113 points. But that left the club eight points behind the Colorado Avalanche, who captured the Presidents’ Trophy.

Given that the Jets’ Presidents’ Trophy season was followed by six playoff wins and a massive step backward, there were some murmurs that too much energy was exerted during the regular season. On top of that, the Presidents’ Trophy winner hasn’t won the Cup since 2013.

However, since Brind’Amour became Carolina’s head coach during the 2018-19 season, the ’Canes have gone 378-182-56 for a winning percentage of .659. They’ve also won 63 playoff games during that span, advancing to the conference final on four occasions in addition to getting to the top of the mountain this spring.

So, since the Jets are in the meat grinder that is the Central Division, the importance of avoiding a wild-card team remains the highest priority.

 

Be adaptable

While there was some ridicule for Tulsky fumbling the Mikko Rantanen situation, Tulsky deserves credit for other set pieces on the roster that stepped up in this spring’s Cup run.

Logan Stankoven has been a brilliant fit and played a vital role in these playoffs. Not only was he highly productive (leading the Hurricanes with 11 goals in 19 games and finishing fourth in points with 16), but being able to centre the line with Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake when the Sebastian Aho trio worked through an offensive dry spell was a massive development.

Hall is also a great story as he looked like he might be nearing the finish line of his career during his time with the Chicago Blackhawks. Now he’s rejuvenated and is back to play some of his best hockey since becoming more of a complementary piece.

The lesson here for the Jets is that taking some additional risk might be required as they look to rebound. Sometimes the biggest swings aren’t the ones that work out the best, but a few bolder decisions might pay big dividends.

 

Building longevity

At a time when Kirill Kaprizov inked an extension that carries an annual average value of US$17.5 million, the Hurricanes highest paid player going into next season is Aho, whose AAV is US$9.75 million.

With the salary cap rising, core pieces like Ehlers (US$8.5 million through 2031), Andrei Svechnikov (US$7.75 million through 2029), Winnipegger Seth Jarvis (US$7.42 million through 2031), K’Andre Miller (US$7.5 million through 2031), Jaccob Slavin (US$6.4 million through 2031), Stankoven (US$6 million through 2032), Blake (US$5.12 million through 2031) and Bussi (US$1.9 million through 2029) are all signed long-term, along with Aho (whose deal expires in 2031).

The Jets have a good chunk of the core locked up long term (other than top defenceman Josh Morrissey, who will be eligible for an extension next summer), but identifying the next wave and getting those deals done should be a priority for Cheveldayoff.

 

Leaning on a veteran centre

The winner of the Conn Smythe trophy was Jordan Staal, who is now a two-time Stanley Cup champion, first lifting the trophy back in 2009. Not only did he defuse each of the offensive weapons at five-on-five he went up against, Staal played a prominent role on both the penalty kill and the power play.

He also finished the playoffs with eight goals and 12 points in 19 games, making him a deserving choice as the Most Valuable Player of the post-season (and after delivering 20 goals and 36 points in 75 games during the regular season).

Staal is 37 years and appears to be aging like a fine wine, only enduring one hiccup two season ago when he dipped to 10 goals in 80 games and had just one goal and two points in 11 playoff tilts.

His ability to get back to peak form should be encouraging for Jets captain Adam Lowry, whose robust style is similar to Staal in some regards. Lowry’s ability to win the matchup game and drive the flow of play by making offensive players on the opposition spend considerable time defending instead of attacking will be essential for the Jets this upcoming season.

 

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