Planes can trade several stars

The Winnipeg Jets had another disappointing season and General Manager Kevin Sheffield may be tempted to rebuild the core of his team.

That’s according to Frank Serravalle of DailyFaceoff on Friday, naming Cheveldayoff as the man who will be the “busiest and most popular” this offseason.

The first is star goaltender Conor Hellboyk, whose six-year, $37 million contract expires in 2024.

The American goaltender is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, which he has already won in 2020. However, his success in the regular season was not repeated in the playoffs: he posted a save average of 0.886 and the Jets were eliminated in five games in the first round.

Hellebuyck isn’t the only high profile player who can escape the Manitoba cold. Not surprisingly, the name Pierre-Luc Dubois continued to circulate in transactional rumors.

The Quebec forward posted a personal high for points (63) in 2022-23, despite missing nine games. Whether in Montreal or elsewhere, his future doesn’t seem to include planes.

Another player cited by Serravalle is none other than Mark Shevell, who is hitting his first career 40+ goal tally. The Ontario pivot could also reach full autonomy in 2024, and his annual salary of $6.125 million should make him a popular player in the Pittman circuit.

Finally, one of the only players to follow the team from Atlanta to Winnipeg, veteran Blake Wheeler remained the player with two straight 91-point campaigns. He can still deliver great service in the NHL, as evidenced by his 55 points in 2022-2023.

In addition to DuBois, defensemen Dylan Samberg and Logan Stanley, as well as forwards Morgan Barron and Kevin Stenlund, will become restricted free agents.

It’s hard to predict what the Jets’ roster will look like in 2023-24, but one thing is for sure, GM Cheveldayoff will have his hands full.