Making the cut
Goaltending is set with Helleybuck and free agent signing David Rittich, and the defense has established veterans and younger players like Ville Heinola (21) pushing for a spot.
There are openings at forward after Paul Stastny (Carolina Hurricanes), Evgeny Svechnikov (San Jose Sharks) and Zach Sanford (Nashville Predators) left as free agents. Cole Perfetti, David Gustafsson, Chaz Lucius and Michael Eyssimont along with free agent signing Sam Gagner, are among those in the running.
Most intriguing addition
Perfetti was impressive in limited NHL action last season. After playing in the first two games of the season, he was sent down to Manitoba of the American Hockey League and had 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 17 games. Selected with the No. 10 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Perfetti was recalled midseason and had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 16 games. He played top-six and power play minutes before a back injury ended his season.
From Jan. 1 to the end of the season for Winnipeg, he ranked ninth in points-per-game (0.44), 10th in shooting percentage (10 percent) and second in on-ice goals for percentage at 5-on-5 (63.6, minimum 16 games). With the loss of Stastny, the Jets have a spot open in their top six and the healthy 20-year-old could be the perfect fit.
Biggest potential surprise
Signed to a one-year contract Sept. 2, Gagner is coming off one of his most productive seasons in some time and could play a key role. Last season with the Detroit Red Wings, he played 81 games for the first time since the 2016-17 season, hit the 30-point plateau (31) for the first time since 2017-18 and had his highest points-per-game average (0.38) since 2018-19 (0.41).
Selected No. 6 in the 2007 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, the 33-year-old has established himself as a veteran, bottom-six forward who can play special teams; he got a sprinkle of power-play time and led Detroit in shorthanded time on ice (191:21) and shorthanded time on ice per game (2:22) last season. He could help bolster a penalty kill that ranked 29th in the NHL.
Ready to break through
Expectations have been high for the Finland-born Heinola after he was selected in the first round (No. 20) of the 2019 NHL Draft, and with 25 NHL games under his belt, he is poised for a breakout year. A veteran of four pro seasons, three in North America, the defenseman is a smooth-skating puck-mover with a high hockey IQ. Last season, he had five assists and 25 shots on goal in 12 games for the Jets, and 26 points (five goals, 21 assists) in 41 games for Manitoba.
Jets director of amateur scouting Mark Hillier said he thinks Heinola has "put his time in in the American Hockey League and has been a really good player there, and I think it's his time to make the jump and really see what he's got this year."
Fantasy sleeper
Neal Pionk, D (fantasy average draft position: 152.2) -- He's had at least 32 points in each of his three seasons with the Jets and could challenge his career-best point (45) and power-play point (25) totals from 2019-20 under new coach Rick Bowness. Pionk has a high fantasy floor with strong hits coverage (2.2 per game in career) and would benefit from Winnipeg bouncing back on the power play (21.1 percent; 17th in NHL); it's worth noting high-scoring forwards Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers each missed at least 15 games last season. -- Anna Dua
