Winnipeg Jets 2014-2015 Preview: Odds Have Jets Outside Playoff Picture

Nobody seems to know whether the Winnipeg Jets will be a playoff team or be vying from the No. 1 overall pick at the NHL Draft.

Stanley Cup Odds

Odds to make Stanley Cup playoffs: +157

Over/under regular season points: 80.5

Will the Jets make the playoffs? No -296

What’s new

Who’s in

The Jets brought in forwards Mathieu Perreault and T.J. Galiardi in the offseason, but that’s pretty much it. The team committed to its core and now it is stuck with it for better or worse.

Who’s out

Goaltender Al Montoya and forwards Olli Jokinen and Devin Setoguchi are out of the picture. Those moves should create opportunities for some kids to step into bigger roles up front if all goes as planned.

The skinny

Head coach Paul Maurice finally got this team pointed in the right direction at the end of last season. Whether that carries over this year will be the big question this year. His main task is getting the Jets to commit to a solid defensive system that limits chances against. This team loves to freestyle and lacks structure.

Betting forecast

Until you see it on the ice, you have to consider this team to be a regular over bet even though they had the under at 39-38 last year. Maurice is a strong coach but if he can’t get the Jets to buy-in, you’re going to see a lot of pucks end up in the Winnipeg net behind Ondrej Pavelec. Plus, the Jets do have some great depth and skill up front. They’ll be an exciting team to watch one way or another.

Overview

The Jets will hang around in the playoff race if Maurice gets through to them, Evander Kane returns to a the form of a 30-goal scorer, the team’s kids take on more responsibility, and Pavelec drastically steps up his game in the crease. So, it’s safe to say Maurice has his work cut out for him. If he can get Dustin Byfuglien to play up to his capabilities as a forward, that will be a great first step.

Betting preview

A quick start is essential for Winnipeg. If the Jets get out of the gate well and start rolling, the players will begin believing in what Maurice is selling them. If not, well, it could be another lost year punctuated by shipping Evander Kane out of town. That’s speculation, for now anyway. In the end, goaltending could be the real downfall of this team. Pavelec allowed more goals than other NHL goalie last year and had a .901 save percentage. That’s a nightmare for a team as unstructured as Winnipeg was. The only time you’re likely betting the Jets is when they’re at home. Their fans are some of the best in the league.