{"id":91781,"date":"2026-09-20T01:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/?p=91781"},"modified":"2026-09-20T00:45:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T20:45:38","slug":"winnipeg-jets-preseason-roster-analysis-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/winnipeg-jets-preseason-roster-analysis-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Winnipeg Jets Open Pre-Season with Youth Focus as Goaltending Battle Takes Center Stage"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"background:#f7fafc;padding:15px;border-left:4px solid #3b82f6;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Thomas Milic earned the starting goalie spot for Winnipeg&#8217;s pre-season opener against the Edmonton Oilers.<\/li>\n<li>Connor Hellebuyck remains away from the team, opening immediate opportunities for young goaltenders.<\/li>\n<li>Head coach Scott Arniel highlighted a 7-to-10 day window for backup goaltenders to prove their readiness.<\/li>\n<li>Top prospects Brad Lambert, Brayden Yager, and Isak Ros\u00e9n headlined the pre-season forward lines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Winnipeg Jets have officially opened their pre-season exhibition schedule with a heavily youth-oriented lineup, handing 23-year-old goaltender Thomas Milic the starting nod against a star-studded Edmonton Oilers squad. With veteran netminder Connor Hellebuyck currently away from the team, Winnipeg\u2019s coaching staff is using the opening stretch of the pre-season to answer critical questions regarding depth across all positions, particularly in goal.<\/p>\n<h2>Milic Faces Elite Test in Edmonton<\/h2>\n<p>According to an official report by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/jets\/news\/gameday-jets-at-oilers-x0528\">NHL.com<\/a>, Thomas Milic takes the ice in Edmonton to face an Oilers team that includes superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Milic, who previously stepped into action against Edmonton last December in relief of Eric Comrie, welcomed the high-stakes matchup. Expressing excitement for the challenge, Milic noted that facing top-tier talent early in his career reinforces the reality of competing at the highest level without causing hesitation.<\/p>\n<p>Head coach Scott Arniel emphasized that the pre-season schedule provides a crucial window for younger netminders to prove their readiness. Arniel highlighted that both Milic and fellow prospect Dom DiVincentiis have an opportunity over the next week to ten days to push for a roster spot behind the team\u2019s established goaltending core. With Hellebuyck absent, the coaching staff is closely monitoring how these prospects perform under real game pressure.<\/p>\n<h2>Young Roster and Projected Lineups<\/h2>\n<p>Roster details published by <a href=\"https:\/\/illegalcurve.com\/winnipeg-jets-pre-season-game-1-roster-and-projected-lines-vs-oilers\/\">Illegal Curve<\/a> reveal a lineup dominated by dynamic prospects and players vying for bottom-six forward and lower-pair defensive roles. The projected forward lines feature Isak Ros\u00e9n alongside Viggo Bj\u00f6rck and Brad Lambert on the top combination, followed by Kevin He, Brayden Yager, and Parker Ford. Lower combinations feature energy pairings like Nikita Chibrikov, Danny Zhilkin, and Noah Gregor, as well as Colby Barlow, Jacob Julien, and Lucas Wahlin.<\/p>\n<p>On defense, the Jets are testing combinations featuring Haydn Fleury paired with Jack St. Ivany, Henry Thrun alongside Tyrel Bauer, and Lukas Gustafsson working with Isaak Phillips. Behind Milic, goaltender Isaac Poulter was named as the backup for the pre-season opener. This experimental grouping offers the front office a direct look at how quickly recent draft picks and AHL standouts can transition to NHL-paced hockey.<\/p>\n<h2>Goaltending Competition and Roster Stakes<\/h2>\n<p>The stakes for Winnipeg\u2019s pre-season extend beyond individual line chemistry. Establishing reliable depth in goal is paramount for the franchise as it prepares for an intense regular season. Arniel made it clear that open roster spots are available for players who step up, reiterating that internal competition will dictate final decisions as the regular season approaches.<\/p>\n<p>As pre-season games progress over the coming days, the performance of Milic and his peers will give management clear indicators on whether internal options are sufficient or if secondary moves will be necessary to bolster the squad\u2019s overall depth.<\/p>\n<section class=\"related-articles azat-depth-followups\" style=\"margin:2rem 0;padding:1rem;background:#f7fafc;\">\n<h3 style=\"margin-top:0;font-size:1.5rem;color:#333;\">Follow-up Questions<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"list-style:none;padding:0;margin:0;\">\n<li style=\"display:block;margin:.75rem 0;padding:.75rem 0;border-top:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.08);\">\n<details style=\"display:block;\">\n<summary style=\"cursor:pointer;list-style:revert;color:#c95a5a;font-weight:700;line-height:1.45;\">Who is competing for Winnipeg&#8217;s secondary goaltending roles?<\/summary>\n<div style=\"margin:.65rem 0 0 1.15rem;color:#333;line-height:1.65;\">\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#333;\">Thomas Milic and Dom DiVincentiis are currently competing for depth goaltending spots during the pre-season evaluation window<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:.55rem 0 0 0;color:#333;\"><strong>What remains unclear:<\/strong> It remains uncertain whether Winnipeg will sign an external veteran if the young netminders struggle<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"display:block;margin:.75rem 0;padding:.75rem 0;border-top:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.08);\">\n<details style=\"display:block;\">\n<summary style=\"cursor:pointer;list-style:revert;color:#c95a5a;font-weight:700;line-height:1.45;\">Which young prospects are receiving top-six ice time?<\/summary>\n<div style=\"margin:.65rem 0 0 1.15rem;color:#333;line-height:1.65;\">\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#333;\">Forward prospects Isak Ros\u00e9n, Brad Lambert, and Brayden Yager are being given prominent offensive roles in early exhibition action<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"related-articles azat-depth-perspectives\" style=\"margin:2rem 0;padding:1rem;background:#f7fafc;\">\n<h3 style=\"margin-top:0;font-size:1.5rem;color:#333;\">Perspectives<\/h3>\n<div style=\"margin:.75rem 0 1rem 0;padding:1rem;color:#333;font-weight:700;line-height:1.45;\">Coaching Staff Angle vs Prospect Development View<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin:1rem 0 0;padding:1rem 0 0;border-top:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.08);\">\n<div style=\"margin:0 0 .75rem;color:#333;font-weight:700;line-height:1.45;\">Story lens<\/div>\n<div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:.9rem;align-items:stretch;\">\n<div style=\"flex:1 1 240px;min-width:0;padding:.85rem .9rem;border-top:3px solid #8bb7e8;color:#333;line-height:1.65;\">\n<div style=\"margin:0 0 .45rem;font-weight:700;color:#333;\">Coaching Staff Angle<\/div>\n<p>Coach Scott Arniel is utilizing early pre-season action to test prospects under realistic game conditions against elite opponents. This approach signals that roster spots will be awarded based on performance rather than previous draft standing<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"flex:1 1 240px;min-width:0;padding:.85rem .9rem;border-top:3px solid #d6c78f;color:#333;line-height:1.65;\">\n<div style=\"margin:0 0 .45rem;font-weight:700;color:#333;\">Prospect Development View<\/div>\n<p>For young goaltenders like Thomas Milic, facing elite players early in the pre-season builds immediate experience. Demonstrating poise against top-tier competition strengthens their position within the organization&#8217;s long-term pipeline<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas Milic gets the start against Edmonton as the Winnipeg Jets evaluate depth prospects and backup goaltending options ahead of the new NHL season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":-1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"googlesitekit_rrm_CAow5Nm1DA:productID":"","_azat_image_credit":"","_azat_image_creator":"","_azat_image_copyright":"","_azat_image_source_url":"","_azat_image_license_name":"","_azat_image_license_url":"","_azat_image_acquire_license_url":"","_azat_image_rights_status":"","_azat_image_caption":"","am_featured_image_credit":"","am_featured_image_creator":"","am_featured_image_copyright":"","am_featured_image_source_url":"https:\/\/jetsnation.ca\/_next\/image?url=https:\/\/publish.jetsnation.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/09\/USATSI_27154652-scaled.jpg&w=3840&q=75","am_featured_image_license_name":"","am_featured_image_license_url":"","am_featured_image_acquire_license_url":"","am_featured_image_rights_status":"unknown","am_featured_image_caption":"","_azat_threads_post_url":"","_azat_threads_article_post_url":"","_azat_threads_image_post_url":"","_azat_threads_video_post_url":"","_azat_youtube_video_id":"","_azat_youtube_video_url":"","_azat_youtube_shorts_url":"","_azat_include_in_video_stream":true,"_azat_auto_publish_channels":"[\"x\",\"facebook\",\"instagram\",\"threads\",\"bluesky\",\"linkedin\",\"youtube\",\"tiktok\"]","azat_editorial_review_required":0,"azat_editorial_review_reasons":"[]","azat_editorial_validated_at":1789842625,"azat_cs_package_key":"winnipeg jets who what winnipeg jets goaltender connor hellebuyck why now suspended as of september 19 2026 missing the start of training camp what changed the situation has escalated from trade rumors to an active suspension stakes high the team s season outlook is tied to this resolution angles to pursue analyze the impact on the jets roster and the potential trade market for elite goaltenders","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[64608,64609,34351],"class_list":["post-91781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sport","tag-nhl-pre-season","tag-thomas-milic","tag-winnipeg-jets"],"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/winnipeg-jets-goaltender-action.jpg","_embedded":{"wp:featuredmedia":[{"id":-1,"source_url":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/winnipeg-jets-goaltender-action.jpg","media_type":"image","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91781"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91782,"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91781\/revisions\/91782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azat.tv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}