2017–18 Winnipeg Jets season
National Hockey League team season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2017–18 Winnipeg Jets season was the 19th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on June 25, 1997, and the seventh in Winnipeg, since the franchise relocated from Atlanta prior to the start of the 2011–12 NHL season.[2] The Jets clinched their second playoff spot since relocating from Atlanta after beating the Nashville Predators 5–4 in a shootout on March 25, 2018. The Jets finished the season with 114 points, the second-best record in the NHL. Both were the best-ever finishes for both the Thrashers/Jets franchise and any Winnipeg-based NHL team before they were surpassed by the 2024-25 Winnipeg Jets with 56 wins and 116 Points.
| 2017–18 Winnipeg Jets | |
|---|---|
| Division | 2nd Central |
| Conference | 2nd Western |
| 2017–18 record | 52–20–10 |
| Home record | 32–7–2 |
| Road record | 20–13–8 |
| Goals for | 277 |
| Goals against | 218 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Kevin Cheveldayoff |
| Coach | Paul Maurice |
| Captain | Blake Wheeler |
| Alternate captains | Dustin Byfuglien Mark Scheifele |
| Arena | Bell MTS Place |
| Average attendance | 15,321[1] |
| Minor league affiliates | Manitoba Moose (AHL) Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Patrik Laine (44) |
| Assists | Blake Wheeler (68) |
| Points | Blake Wheeler (91) |
| Penalty minutes | Dustin Byfuglien (112) |
| Plus/minus | Mark Scheifele (+19) |
| Wins | Connor Hellebuyck (44) |
| Goals against average | Connor Hellebuyck (2.36) |
On April 11, 2018, the Jets won their first playoff game in franchise history when they defeated the Minnesota Wild 3–2 ending an 8-game playoff losing streak. On April 20, 2018, the team won its first playoff series when they defeated the Wild 5–0 and advanced to the Second Round. They then took the Presidents' Trophy-winning Nashville Predators to seven games to advance to the Western Conference Final – the deepest playoff run for a Winnipeg-based NHL team. The original Jets only got as far as the second round during their run in Winnipeg, in 1985 and 1987. Their season would come to an end during the Western Conference Final where they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.
Standings
| Pos | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | ROW | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | p – Nashville Predators | 82 | 53 | 18 | 11 | 47 | 267 | 211 | +56 | 117 |
| 2 | x – Winnipeg Jets | 82 | 52 | 20 | 10 | 48 | 277 | 218 | +59 | 114 |
| 3 | x – Minnesota Wild | 82 | 45 | 26 | 11 | 42 | 253 | 232 | +21 | 101 |
| 4 | x – Colorado Avalanche | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 41 | 257 | 237 | +20 | 95 |
| 5 | St. Louis Blues | 82 | 44 | 32 | 6 | 41 | 226 | 222 | +4 | 94 |
| 6 | Dallas Stars | 82 | 42 | 32 | 8 | 38 | 235 | 225 | +10 | 92 |
| 7 | Chicago Blackhawks | 82 | 33 | 39 | 10 | 32 | 229 | 256 | −27 | 76 |
Schedule and results
Pre-season
The pre-season schedule was published on June 12, 2017.[4]
| 2017 pre-season game log: 2–3–2 (Home: 2–1–1; Road: 0–2–1) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Decision | Attendance | Record | Recap |
| 1 | September 18 | Minnesota | 3–2 | Winnipeg | SO | Hellebuyck | 15,294 | 0–0–1 | Recap |
| 2 | September 20 | Edmonton | 4–1 | Winnipeg | Mason | 15,294 | 0–1–1 | Recap | |
| 3 | September 21 | Winnipeg | 0–1 | Minnesota | Hellebuyck | 16,518 | 0–2–1 | Recap | |
| 4 | September 23 | Winnipeg | 2–6 | Edmonton | Hutchinson | 18,347 | 0–3–1 | Recap | |
| 5 | September 25 | Calgary | 2–5 | Winnipeg | Mason | 15,294 | 1–3–1 | Recap | |
| 6 | September 27 | Ottawa | 3–5 | Winnipeg | Hellebuyck | 15,294 | 2–3–1 | Recap | |
| 7 | September 30 | Winnipeg | 2–3 | Calgary | SO | Mason | 19,289 | 2–3–2 | Recap |
Regular season
The regular season schedule was released on June 22, 2017.[5]
| 2017–18 game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Legend: Win (2 points) Loss (0 points) Overtime/shootout loss (1 point) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playoffs
| 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Legend: Win Loss | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player statistics
Final Stats[6]
- Skaters
- Goaltenders
| Player | GP | GS | TOI | W | L | OT | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Hellebuyck | 67 | 64 | 3,965:54 | 44 | 11 | 9 | 156 | 2.36 | 2048 | .924 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Steve Mason | 13 | 12 | 684:53 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 37 | 3.24 | 392 | .906 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Michael Hutchinson | 3 | 3 | 128:45 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3.26 | 75 | .907 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Eric Comrie | 3 | 3 | 180:26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 3.99 | 94 | .872 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | GP | GS | TOI | W | L | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Hellebuyck | 17 | 17 | 1,015:07 | 9 | 8 | 40 | 2.36 | 511 | .922 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Steve Mason | 1 | 0 | 20:00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 7 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Jets. Statistics reflect time with the Jets only.
‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Statistics reflect time with the Jets only.
Bold/italics denotes franchise record.
Transactions
The Jets have been involved in the following transactions during the 2017–18 season.
Trades
| Date | Details | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 21, 2017 | To Vegas Golden Knights 1st-round pick in 2017 3rd-round pick in 2019 |
To Winnipeg Jets CBJ's 1st-round pick in 2017 Expansion Draft considerations[a] |
[7] |
| February 26, 2018 | To St. Louis Blues Erik Foley Conditional 1st-round pick in 2018 Conditional 4th-round pick in 2020 |
To Winnipeg Jets Paul Stastny |
[8] |
| February 26, 2018 | To Montreal Canadiens 4th-round pick in 2018 |
To Winnipeg Jets Joe Morrow |
[9] |
Notes:
- [a] The Vegas Golden Knights selected Chris Thorburn in the 2017 NHL expansion draft.
Free agents acquired
|
Free agents lost
|
Claimed via waivers
|
Lost via waivers
|
Lost via retirement
|
Player signings
| Date | Player | Contract terms (in U.S. dollars) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 24, 2017 | Ben Chiarot | 2-year, $2.8 million | [24] |
| July 10, 2017 | Brandon Tanev | 1-year, $700,000 | [25] |
| July 12, 2017 | Andrew Copp | 2-year, $2 million | [26] |
| July 13, 2017 | Mason Appleton | 3-year, $2.275 million entry-level contract | [27] |
| July 17, 2017 | JC Lipon | 1-year, $650,000 | [28] |
| July 24, 2017 | Connor Hellebuyck | 1-year, $2.25 million | [29] |
| September 14, 2017 | Bryan Little | 6-year, $31.746 million contract extension | [30] |
| September 25, 2017 | Luke Green | 3-year, $2.54 million entry-level contract | [31] |
| October 4, 2017 | Nikolaj Ehlers | 7-year, $42 million | [32] |
| March 25, 2018 | C. J. Suess | 1-year, $925,000 entry-level contract | [33] |
| May 19, 2018 | Mikhail Berdin | 3-year, entry-level contract | [34] |
Draft picks
Below are the Winnipeg Jets' selections at the 2017 NHL entry draft, which was held on June 23 and 24, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago.
| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 241 | Kristian Vesalainen | LW |  Finland |
Frölunda HC (SHL) |
| 2 | 43 | Dylan Samberg | D |  United States |
Hermantown High School (USHS) |
| 3 | 74 | Johnny Kovacevic | D |  Canada |
Merrimack College (Hockey East) |
| 4 | 105 | Santeri Virtanen | C | Finland |
TPS U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) |
| 5 | 136 | Leon Gawanke | D |  Germany |
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL) |
| 6 | 167 | Arvid Holm | G |  Sweden |
Karlskrona HK (J20 SuperElit) |
| 7 | 198 | Skyler McKenzie | C | Canada |
Portland Winterhawks (WHL) |
| 7 | 2112 | Croix Evingson | D | United States |
Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL) |
Draft notes:[35]
- The Columbus Blue Jackets' first-round pick went to the Winnipeg Jets as the result of a trade on June 21, 2017, that sent a first-round pick in 2017, a third-round pick in 2019 to Vegas and ensured that Vegas selected Chris Thorburn in the 2017 NHL expansion draft from Winnipeg in exchange for this pick.[36]
- The Montreal Canadiens' seventh-round pick went to the Winnipeg Jets as the result of a trade on June 25, 2016 that sent a seventh-round pick in 2016 to Montreal in exchange for this pick.[37]