Ranking 10 greatest Winnipeg Jets teams of all time

Despite great players like Ilya Kovalchuk and Connor Hellebuyck, there hasn't been a ton of team success in franchise history. Let's take a look at the top ten teams in the history of the Winnipeg Jets and Atlanta Thrashers.

The '21-'22 season is the one preventing the Jets from having a seven-year playoff streak. They put up 89 points and missed the postseason by eight points. This was Hellebuyck's weakest season and he still put up a .910 save percentage and a 2.97 goals-against average. Scheifele missed time with an injury, which hurt their offensive attack. The Jets are looking to knock this team off the list with a great season in 2024-25.

We have now reached the end of the road for playoff teams in Jets/Thrashers history. The best non-playoff squad is the 2005-06 team from Atlanta. Kovalchuk led the team with 52 goals and 98 points, while Marc Savard and Hossa joined him with over 90 points. The offense led this team, scoring the fifth-most goals in the league. They put up 90 points and missed the postseason by just two points.

When the 2019-20 season was cut short, the Jets were comfortably in a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Hellebuyck won his first Vezina with a 2.57 goals-against average. Scheifele and Connor tied for the team lead with 73 points, Connor with a team-high 38 goals, and Scheifele leading with 44 assists.

The Jets were placed in the qualifying round when the bubble commenced in August. They faced the Calgary Flames in that best-of-five series and lost in four games. The offense disappeared, scoring just five goals in the series.

The Jets surprisingly missed the playoffs in 2021-22 and needed to get back to the postseason the following year. Kyle Connor picked up the team by scoring 31 goals and 80 points to lead them. Josh Morrissey led the team with 60 assists, earning a fifth-place finish in the Norris Trophy race. Hellebuyck finished third in Vezina voting thanks to his 2.49 goals-against average.

The playoffs were, once again, a struggle. Up against the Golden Knights, the Jets won game one 5-1. Vegas followed up with four straight wins, including a double-overtime triumph in game three, to eliminate Winnipeg.

The first Atlanta team on the list comes here at number six. They won the Southeast Division with 97 points and earned a spot in the postseason. Marian Hossa led the team with 43 goals, 57 assists, and 100 points. That remains the only 100-point season in the history of the franchise.

The only playoff appearance in Thrashers' history came to a screeching halt in the first round. The Rangers swept the Thrashers in the first round, allowing just six goals across the four games. The Thrashers struggled in the postseason in the one chance they had to make a deep run in Georgia.

The first three seasons in Winnipeg did see the Jets make the playoffs. In their first full season with Paul Maurice behind the bench, they put up 99 points to snag a Wild Card spot. Wheeler led the team with 26 goals while Andrew Ladd topped the list with 38 assists and 62 points.

They were swept by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, ending their first playoff run in Winnipeg. The offense scored only nine goals across the four games and the Ducks rolled to a series victory. While it was a disappointing end, the Jets laid the groundwork for the competitive seasons that followed.

Coming off their fantastic season in '17-'18, the Jets were second on the odds chart at +900 to win the Cup. Their regular season was not as spectacular, with 99 points and another second-place finish. Wheeler led the team with 71 assists and 91 points and Scheifele scored 38 goals, each of those numbers leading the team. Hellebuyck was fantastic again, with a .913 save percentage and a 2.90 goals-against average.

The St. Louis Blues came into the playoffs as the hottest team in the league. That continued in the playoffs, as they won four one-goal games to unseat the Jets in the first round. While the Blues did win the Cup, it was a disappointing finish for Winnipeg.

The Jets entered the all-Canadian division of the 2021 season with high hopes of making a deep run. With no Avalanche, Predators, or Stars to stop them from making the semi-final, they had their eyes on the final four. Scheifele led the team with 42 assists and 63 points in 56 games. Hellebuyck went over .900 in save percentage and had a goals-against average of less than 3.00.

The Jets faced a tough test in the first round, going up against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. They swept the series on the back of a .950 save percentage from Hellebuyck. They faced the four-seed Canadiens in the second round. The Cinderella run continued for the Habs, sweeping Winnipeg in the second round.

What looked like a transition year turned into a great year for the Jets. They started the season by re-signing Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele to massive eight-year deals. A phenomenal season began, all backed by their goalie. Connor Hellebuyck won his second Vezina Trophy for top goaltender thanks to a .921 save percentage and 2.39 goals-against average. They allowed the fewest goals in the league at 199.

The playoffs were a disaster last year. After winning game one 7-6, they dropped the final four games to the Avalanche to lose in round one. They enter this season with a new coach in Scott Arniel thanks to Rick Bowness's retirement. The Jets look to improve on their early defeat in 2024-25.

The best team in the history of the Jets and Thrashers franchise is the 2017-18 squad. They came into the year with middle-of-the-road expectations, +4500 Stanley Cup odds, but shined throughout the regular season. Their 114 points were second in the entire league and their division, with the Predators winning the President's Trophy at 117. Wheeler led the team with 91 points and the league with 68 assists.

The Jets started the playoffs with an easy five-game win over the Minnesota Wild. They faced the Predators in the second round due to the NHL's unique playoff system. They won game seven in Nashville 5-1 to advance to the conference final for the first time. Winnipeg lost to the expansion Golden Knights in the conference final to end the magical season.