Despite injuries to three key players to start the season, the Winnipeg Jets have somehow managed to vault out to a 9-3-0 start to the NHL’s 2025-26 campaign. The underlying numbers aren’t anywhere near as good as they were last season, but the True Northers have been picking up wins regardless.
The door to Winnipeg’s rehabilitation center should be a revolving one with the number of players going in & out to begin this year. Issues started early when Adam Lowry underwent hip surgery in the off-season, so the captain has been on a long road to recovery since then. Then shutdown defender Dylan Samberg sustained a wrist fracture and Cole Perfetti suffered an ankle sprain in the pre-season games. More recently, the Jets have had to deal with injuries to a couple more forwards, as Gustav Nyquist & Morgan Barron are expected to miss a week or so of playing time.
Yet our hockey team may see a silver lining on the near horizon, as Lowry has officially been cleared to play in tonight’s contest versus the Kings. It doesn’t end there either, as Samberg has shed the cast and has began shooting the puck in practices, while Perfetti is also getting more active on the ice. Head coach Scott Arniel indicated that both players are close to shedding the non-contact jerseys and will be joining the team on the upcoming 6 game road trip so that they will be able to participate in full contact practices scheduled for later in the week.
So barring any further mishaps, maybe us fans will finally get to see the entire Winnipeg Jets’ roster in the next couple of weeks. The club does need the boost to find a way to control the flow of play better, as relying on great shooting accuracy and goaltending on a game-in & game-out basis isn’t a solid long-term plan.
Moving onto the Los Angeles Kings (5-4-4), the Californian franchise began the year horribly, dropping 5 out of their first 6 matches. Since then, the win-loss record has improved with a 4-1-2 run even though they will enter tonight’s game on a 2 game skid. What is noticeable about LA’s record to date is that they have required extra time in over half of their contests this season (7 out of 13)……so I would probably expect another close game tonight.
Here is how ESPN has the team & goaltender comparison numbers for tonight’s late night game (9:30 pm Central start):
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The Team Stats for Winnipeg & Los Angeles tend to tell the stories of their early season play, with the Kings finding themselves in the bottom half of the NHL in goal scoring & goals against while the Jets are in the top 10 in both categories. The shot data might suggest that LA deserved a better fate, while WPG might be getting a tad lucky, though the special teams & goalie information show why the True Northers have done better in the standings.
So lets see how PuckPedia is predicting the lines for both teams based on yesterday’s practices:
WINNIPEG JETS LINE UP
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LOS ANGELES KINGS LINE UP
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While I am truly excited to see Lowry back in the line up…the impact of his return is kind of nullified by the injury to Barron. So close to seeing the ideal 4 centers all suited up for a game. Like many of us, I will also be wishing to see Brad Lambert build on his best ever NHL game (which included his 1st goal) and am also very happy to see Colin Miller take Luke Schenn’s spot on the 3rd pairing.
That does mean there won’t be a rematch between Schenn & former Jet Jeff Malott…maybe Logan Stanley will have to take the gamble against the Kings’ tough guy? And then another former Winnipegger in Joel Armia (6 pts in 13 gms) is predicted to get a prime deployment on the top line with Anze Kopitar (6 pts in 9 gms) & Adrian Kempe (15 pts in 13 gms). Goalie Darcy Kuemper was one of the league’s best last season (.922 save %), but the early part of the 25-26 campaign has not gone nearly as well (.891 save %). That could possibly be due to losing defensive talent in the off-season and bringing in questionable replacements like Cody Ceci & Brian Dumoulin.
You also have to wonder if Winnipeg’s top line of Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, & Gabriel Vilardi can keep up their fantastic numbers for much longer. Through 12 contests, the trio has put up a whopping 50 points for a 4.167 point per game average, while scoring the 2nd most 5 on 5 goals in the NHL (behind the Avs’ MacKinnon line). Those are some deadly numbers from the best the Jets can offer.
Well, time to get back to my real job….enjoy your day everyone and try to take a nap so you can stay up for the late West Coast finish.
Go Winnipeg!!!!!
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POST-GAME INFO
Scoring Summary: (courtesy of ESPN)
FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles Kings 3 Winnipeg Jets 0
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Game Stats: (courtesy of MoneyPuck)
Expected Goals (all): LAK 3.93 WPG 3.16
Expected Goals (5on5): LAK 1.92 WPG 1.39
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The Winnipeg Jets continued their struggles against Los Angeles, the only team our club didn’t beat last season during their President’s Trophy run. In what was a fairly even played affair, the True Northers couldn’t find a way to beat Kuemper, even if they did have plenty of chances with a man-advantage in LaLa Land.
On the positive side, the Jonathan Toews line looked really good last night, as did the Haydn Fleury–Colin Miller pairing. And of course, Connor Hellebuyck continued his fine play last night, giving the Jets the chance to keep the game close as they searched for the equalizer.
That is about all my tired brain can come up with right now…..so I will sign off. I am hoping to have an update on the Winnipeg Jets’ prospects playing outside of the NHL & AHL posted tomorrow, so come back and check that out while we wait for the True Northers’ next contest against San Jose on Friday.
