Jets officially eliminated from 2026 Stanley Cup playoff contention

It has been quite the drop-off for a team that was one of the best in the NHL last season.

Thanks to a 5-3 win for the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night, the Winnipeg Jets were officially eliminated from contending for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The news seemed to be a long time coming for the Jets, who have been hanging outside of a playoff spot for most of the season. Yet, where the team was this time last year, when Winnipeg clinched the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history, missing out on the postseason entirely feels like a true disappointment.

Several factors hindered the Jets this season, with the biggest being an injury to goaltender and reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck in November, which led to him missing several weeks. Even after the three-time Vezina Trophy winner returned, the team struggled to find the consistency that had led them to post the best record in 2024-25.

Winnipeg certainly didn’t quit. Since the Olympic break, the team made a valiant effort to challenge for one of the Wild Card spots in the Western Conference. After NHLers returned from the league-wide pause, the Jets have posted a record of 13-7-3, which dragged the team from having favorable odds to win the NHL Draft Lottery to being the 10th-worst team in the league. Yet, Winnipeg will still have a chance at a high selection in the 2026 NHL Draft. As of Monday, the team has a 3.5 percent chance of winning the lottery.

It hasn’t been an entirely unforgettable season. While forward Kyle Connor has had another productive season, scoring a team-leading 38 goals for 89 points in 79 games, Mark Scheifele has been the star of the season. In appearing in every game thus far, the veteran scorer has posted 34 goals and 65 assists, leading the crew with 99 points.