3 Winnipeg Jets who might see a performance dip next season feat. Josh Morrissey

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Aug 27, 2024 03:49 GMT

The Winnipeg Jets had a successful campaign last season, topping 100 points in the Pacific Division. While they had a disappointing first-round exit, the club played well overall and delivered upon expectations.

The club’s success was due to career years from some players, while others continued to perform at consistently high levels. However, three players stood out as potential regression candidates for next season.

3 Winnipeg Jets who might see a performance dip in the 2024-25 season

3. Vladislav Namestnikov

The 31-year-old Namestnikov has become somewhat of a journeyman at this point of his career. After spending time with several organizations prior to last season, he seemed to have found a home with the Winnipeg Jets.

In his first year with the Jets, he notched his second-highest career point total (37). But despite the encouraging display, there’s a chance that Namestnikov could regress more toward his career averages.

Overall, Jets fans should expect Namestnikov to register somewhere between 30 to 40 points. Of course, it won't be upsetting if he can go beyond that.

2. Kyle Connor

Connor has been one of the most effective players for the Winnipeg Jets over the last few seasons. However, injuries have become a concern for the highly skilled winger. As such, it remains to be seen if last year’s dip in production was just a blip on the radar or if Connor can still bounce back to the 80 to 90-point range.

If injuries persist, Connor might be trending downward. At 27 years old, there’s plenty of reason to believe that he can have his fourth consecutive 30-plus goal season. Nevertheless, Jets fans shouldn’t be surprised to see him regress somewhat over the course of 82 games.

1. Josh Morrissey

Morrissey has been a revelation for the Jets over the last two seasons. In the 2022-23 season, he notched a career-high 76 points. He followed it up with a 69-point performance for 2023-24.

Here’s where things get interesting. Morrissey’s previous career high was 37 points, so the sudden 76-point spike proved to be encouraging. But last season’s slight regression could be a sign that he will trend back to his prior career averages.

While the Winnipeg Jets hope that will not be the case, Morrissey will need to prove that the last two seasons are indicative of his true potential and are not mere outliers. Still, Jets fans should not be surprised to find that he may not live up to expectations in the upcoming season.