The Hellebuyck Excuse Won’t Fly: Why the Jets Are Really Crashing

We need to have an uncomfortable conversation about the Winnipeg Jets. It is easy to look at the standings—one win in their last six games—and point a finger directly at the empty crease left by Connor Hellebuyck. But if you think goaltending is the only reason the Jets are spiraling, you aren’t watching the game closely enough.

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button didn’t mince words this week, and frankly, he’s right. The vibe has shifted from the joy of the early season to a grim reality. The Jets have two massive issues right now, and neither of them is named Hellebuyck. It comes down to a complete abandonment of defensive structure and a second line that has gone completely invisible.

The recent loss in Buffalo wasn’t a goaltending failure; it was a comedy of errors. We saw bad reads, players stepping out of lanes, and terrible line changes. When you compound that with a roster that has suddenly lost its scoring touch, you have a recipe for disaster that a returning MVP goalie might not be able to fix alone.

Craig Button on Jets’ Slide: “It’s Curtains, Lights Out” Without Defense

The Winnipeg Jets have officially hit the skids. With Connor Hellebuyck potentially out for another month, the panic meter in Manitoba is rising. However, relying on the “we miss our MVP” narrative is a dangerous crutch. As Button analyzed recently, the Jets are suffering from self-inflicted wounds that no goaltender can heal.

The Defensive Meltdown: The recent performance in Buffalo was a microcosm of the Jets’ current struggles. It wasn’t that the Sabres were unstoppable; it was that Winnipeg practically handed them the game. We saw Dylan DeMelo jumping up at the offensive blue line, resulting in an immediate penalty. We saw Logan Stanley stepping out of lanes, opening up the middle of the ice for easy goals.

When you have Luke Schenn caught in a mismatch against Tage Thompson and Josh Norris, that is a structural failure. Terrible line changes leading to odd-man rushes aren’t about goaltending talent; they are about mental engagement. As Button noted, “It doesn’t matter if Connor Hellebuyck is in the net or not. The problem is the way they’re playing.”

The “Light” Second Line: Perhaps even more concerning is the disappearance of secondary scoring. The Jets started the 2025-26 season lighting the lamp, but they are now scraping the bottom of the league in goals for. The top line of Connor, Scheifele, and Vilardi is doing their job. The checking line with Lowry is grinding.

But the second line? It is becoming a massive liability. Button describes that unit—featuring Perfetti and Namestnikov—as “light.” They aren’t playing heavy, they aren’t playing fast, and they aren’t establishing offensive zone time. Jonathan Toews is struggling to fill a role he simply might not be capable of right now. If Kevin Cheveldayoff doesn’t address this roster imbalance soon, opposing teams will continue to zero in on the top line, knowing there is zero threat coming from the second unit.

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