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Stanley Cup Playoffs 2018: Winnipeg Jets ready to soar to new heights

By Brett Innis

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 03: The Winnipeg Jets celebrate a victory against the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on April 3, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 03: The Winnipeg Jets celebrate a victory against the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on April 3, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has put together a winning machine in Manitoba. Now it’s up to the players to win a few rounds in the Stanley Cup Playoffs 2018.

Around two years ago, Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff sat in the TSN studios in Toronto awaiting his team’s fate for the 2016 NHL Draft. The Jets had a 7.8 percent chance to get the second overall pick. Lo-and-behold, that’s precisely what they got.

In that draft, the Jets selected Patrik Laine. The soon-to-be 20-year old Finnish winger has injected an elite scoring touch into the lineup. Laine has been one of the highest scoring teenagers of all-time. Now the Jets appear ready to go on a memorable Stanley Cup run.

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Winnipeg is favored by many to get out of the first round and beyond. But with the Nashville Predators as a potential second-round opponent, they’ll need a lot to click in order to get to the Cup Final.

On paper, the Jets might be the most stacked team in the NHL. The trade deadline acquisition of Paul Stastny to compliment forwards such as Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Laine makes for a scary top-six forward group.

In net, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has done nothing but impress. The 24-year old set a franchise record and a single-season record for American goaltenders with 44 wins. Some hockey pundits also say he deserves the Vezina Trophy over Pekka Rinne.

Add in a defensive core that features 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Dustin Byfuglien, emerging defensemen Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey, as well as veteran Tyler Myers, and you have a well-rounded group that can beat you up and down the ice.

Jets Head Coach Paul Maurice treats Game 14 of the regular season the same as Game 82. He won’t waiver from his thought process during the playoffs. The 51-year old took the 2001-2002 Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Finals. There’s no reason why Maurice can’t take a more talented Jets team all the way.

With Minnesota’s number one defenseman Ryan Suter out for the season and Jared Spurgeon not 100%, the Jets need to take advantage of a banged-up Wild D corps. Expect a fast attacking Jets team right from the get-go in Game 1 in their first-round series. 

Next: Power Ranking the Stanley Cup Playoff Teams

The playoffs are uncharted territory for Winnipeg. Their franchise has never won a single postseason game. Both times they’ve been in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they’ve been swept. This year should be different, as the Jets are set to soar to previously unthinkable heights.

For updated Stanley Cup Playoffs 2018 coverage, check out our hub page!

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