Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024/25 revision of our top 50 Winnipeg Jets.
As for all of our top 50 players in hockey, we look at the following:
1. Advanced Statistics.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.
Last year, the Jets won the President’s Trophy, meaning they had the most regular-season points, but it only got them as far as the second round. Let’s remember that this ranking ONLY considers this incarnation of the Jets, including their time as the Atlanta Thrashers.
Crazy, right?
Sadly, until the NHL officially recognizes the original Winnipeg Jets as part of its statistical canon (though culturally they are), we have to keep it this way.
As always, we present our top five, which saw two changes.
1. Connor Hellebucyk
2. Mark Scheifele
3. Blake Wheeler
4. Ilya Kovalchuk
5. Kyle Connor
You can find the entire list here.
Connor Hellebuyck, who took over the number one spot last year, expanded his lead at the top. Last season, Hellebucyk won his third Vezina, but his first Hart Trophy, which was the first in franchise history.
Mark Scheifele moved up from #4 to #2.
Kyle Connor made it into the top five (at #5). He was ranked at #6 last year.
Defenseman Josh Morrisey edged up one spot to #6.
Nikolaj Ehlers, who is now with Carolina, remained at #8.
Defenseman Neal Pionk advanced three spots to #12.
Left Wing Adam Lowry went up one spot to #18.
Defenseman Dylan DeMelo skyrocketed from #32 to #20.
The highest debut is Defenseman Dylan Samberg, who enters at #36.
Center Cole Perfetti makes his first appearance on the list at #39.
Fellow Center Gabriel Vilardi debuts at #46.
The last new entrant was Mason Appleton, whose second run with the Jets ended in the offseason. He comes in at #48.
We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.
Pierre Luc-Dubois wanted to be traded out of Winnipeg, and the Jets were able to pull the trigger, netting three players and a pick for him. One of those men was Gabriel Vilardi, and if it were one-for-one just for him, Winnipeg might be declared the winner of the deal.
Playing at Center, Vilardi’s puck skills and shooting have improved in Winnipeg in the brief two years he has played in the province of Manitoba. Scoring 22 Goals in his first year as a Jet, he increased that to 27 last year, with 61 Points overall. Proving his worth on the power play, Vilardi begins this season with a fresh six-year contract and a prime period to jump into.