3 reasons the Winnipeg Jets should be Stanley Cup favorites
By Sion Fawkes
This past summer, we didn’t know what to make of the Winnipeg Jets, but in January 2024, this team has evolved into one of the NHL’s best. It started when Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele, who initially looked like prime trade candidates, signed their respective contract extensions shortly before the season began. Since then, the Jets jumped out of the gate and have been growing stronger as the 2023-24 season wears on.
Now that they have kept up their momentum in the new calendar year, it’s long past time to consider this team as a favorite to hoist the Stanley Cup. They have one of the best goaltenders and skaters in hockey, and both are good enough to help the long-time hard-luck franchise down the stretch if they stay and get healthy.
You can also argue that there is hardly another team in the NHL that has figured the Jets out. And if that trend continues throughout January, the rest of the league, even its best teams, will be collectively looking up at Winnipeg.
Why the Winnipeg Jets should be Stanley Cup favorites
1. Connor Hellebuyck’s elite play
There are few better goaltenders in the NHL at the moment than Connor Hellebuyck, who continues to put together All-Star-caliber numbers. Hellebuyck is now 19-6-3 this season, and he’s tied for second among all goaltenders in wins, but that’s just one of many statistics in which he’s either at or near the top half of the league.
His 0.921 save percentage is sixth in the NHL among goaltenders who have made at least 15 starts this year, and his 2.28 GAA is fourth. Since Dec. 1, Hellebuyck has been playing his best hockey, snagging just a 1.81 GAA, a 0.938 save percentage, and a 9-0-2 record. If he keeps up this pace, there is no question that Winnipeg will at least get a solid look among Stanley Cup favorites.