The Colorado Avalanche are in Winnipeg on Wednesday to take on the division rival Jets. The biggest difference between this time around compared to last season is that the Jets do not currently have their main threat, Connor Hellebuyck, between the pipes. Hellebuyck wants out of Winnipeg, and because he did not show up to camp, the team has suspended him indefinitely.
With Hellebuyck out of the picture, Stuart Skinner is the team’s goalie. However, it’s Mark Scheifele that the Avalanche need to put a lot of their defensive focus on. Scheifele was Winnipeg’s lone 100-point player last season at 103, including 36 goals. He even had 29 even-strength goals last season, which creates another issue for Colorado. Though Kyle Connor led the team in goals (39), Scheifele has two goals and three assists in the last three matches against the Avalanche.
Scheifele could be a threat to the Avalanche’s defense due to his high-danger shot success. He finished the 2025-26 season with 11 high-danger goals and 18 mid-range goals. Those are the areas the Avalanche will probably need to focus on the most as far as the defense.
Through the Jets’ first three games of the season, Scheifele has zero points and is a minus-2. That means that he will be on a mission to get his first points of the season against the division rival Avalanche. It also means that he’ll be a bit more dangerous than usual.
Last season, Scheifele average 21:30 of ice time throughout the 82-game season. We could see a lower dosage of him at some point this season, but I anticipate the Jets wanting to use him around that same time in this early-season matchup. He also led the Jets in shooting percentage (20.6%) last season, which is a clear sign that he will want to get things going the second the first puck drops on Wednesday.
The problem is that the Jets have a couple of other weapons they can use (Kyle Connor, Cole Perfetti). Scheifele is a huge threat not only because of his scoring abilities, but also in the sense that he will be able to find his teammates when shots aren’t quite there for himself. So, when that top line is on the ice, things could be pretty bad for the Avalanche if they don’t tighten up and put all of their focus on the forward group.
The Jets have a chip on their shoulder right now. Despite their star goaltender out, they have surpassed the Avalanche due to getting a point in an overtime loss. The Jets, to me, aren’t that scary. They have a vulnerable goaltender who has allowed six goals in three games (3.00 GAA). If the Avalanche can take care of Scheifele on defense, as well as throw in some high-danger shot attempts against Skinner, they should have no problem taking care of business in Winnipeg.
The Avalanche cannot allow the Jets to get ahead and take over the game. Playing from behind is highly discouraged, especially against a team that is missing its star goaltender. If the Jets gain a lead on the Avalanche, their confidence would be high, which is never something you want to see from an opponent. Stop Scheifele, and the Avalanche’s chances will grow.
Add us as a preferred source on Google