Winnipeg Jets Offseason Plan: Draft, Develop… or Trade a Core Piece?

Andrew “Hustler” Paterson is joined by Murat Ates to break down how the Winnipeg Jets move forward after a disappointing season. After looking back at how the Jets fell into the “mushy middle,” the focus turns to what comes next. Why the 2026 first-round pick could be the most important asset in the organization, how Winnipeg’s development system is being questioned around the league, and whether the team can build a true second wave of talent. Plus, the big question everyone is talking about. Should the Jets consider trading a core player like Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor or Josh Morrissey to reset their path? This is all about the path forward and what it will actually take for Winnipeg to become a contender again. Chapters: Intro (00:00) Murat Ates on Jets offseason outlook (00:30) How the Jets became a “mushy middle” team (01:10) The missing second wave of talent (02:40) Why the 2026 1st round pick is critical (03:00) Draft vs free agency vs trades in Winnipeg (04:00) Why the pick should be a foundational piece (05:10) Using draft picks to improve the roster (06:00) Can the Jets find secondary scoring help (07:00) Concerns about player development (08:00) What needs to change in development (09:30) Scouting and drafting issues (11:30) Have the Jets drafted well enough (13:00) Should the Jets trade a core player (14:30) Pros and cons of moving core pieces (15:30) The risk of losing elite talent (17:00) What Murat heard from Connor Hellebuyck (18:30) Hellebuyck’s mindset and future (21:00) What a Hellebuyck trade could look like (23:30) Can the Jets win without him (25:00) Winnipeg Sports Talk Daily streams weekdays at 1pm CT on YouTube and is available on podcast following the show. Please hit the like button and subscribe to the channel if you enjoyed this video. Follow Andrew Paterson on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hustlerama Follow Murat Ates on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/wpgmurat Winnipeg Sports Talk Links: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3bboDpa​​ Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/30nIf3v​​ Website: http://www.winnipegsportstalk.com Discord: https://discord.gg/eZxKeEZdsb Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sportstalkwpg​​ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sportstalkwpg​​ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sportstalkwpg​ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sportstalkwpg