Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck missing from practice: injury fears grow

The Winnipeg Jets' roster will become official at 4 p.m. on Monday as the team readies itself to start the 2024-25 NHL season. It remains to be seen if it's a 22-player roster or one with 23 names, setting the table for the opening-night lineup. There won't be many surprises, presumably, in the initial lineup, but the real intrigue will be what different looks it may take on with the reported absence of Connor Hellebuyck from practice today. Fans and experts alike are beginning to worry if this is injury-related, especially since the Jets still have three goalies in camp at the moment. If today's deadline passes and all three goalies are still with the team, that could sound major alarm bells on Hellebuyck's health.

In terms of the team's overall lineup to start the season, it seems the Jets are taking the cautious route; it would appear they want to walk it back. That would indicate a move back to the familiar and comfortable lineup that does not feature many new faces. The term "walking it back" may be better used as the team takes on the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. For many, this is just the latest incarnation of the same theme as last year's underwhelming playoff run, which saw the Jets go down in five during the opening round to Colorado. The sting of that series loss still lingers, fueling doubts about whether the current roster can push past those postseason struggles.

However, there's a more optimistic side to "walking it back." Despite the playoff shortcomings, the Jets had a remarkably successful regular season. They recorded 52 victories and 110 points, including a glittering 20-5-1 divisional mark. Oh, and they led the NHL in goals-against, as well. If Hellebuyck ends up missing any time, that defensive juggernaut the Jets were last season could suffer a serious blow to start this season.

Through the summer and into training camp, General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff talked about opportunities being available for young players to take a bigger role. Young prospects in Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, and Elias Salomonsson have seemed to be getting better. But with their improvement, they may not be quite ready to seize a full-time roster spot. The following players may be close, but with these cuts, it appears the Jets are intent on starting the season with as many familiar faces as possible.

If the Jets' decision to not make any changes to the status quo does not pan out, you can be sure that the "walking it back" storyline will shift in a hurry. If the season does not go according to plan, such as Connor Hellebuyck missing significant time, it'll shift to talking about "moving it forward," meaning a more aggressive plan for some major changes to the team in the future.