Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff didn’t expect the team to be this good

The Winnipeg Jets are the class of the NHL this year – but not even the man who constructed it saw them being this good so far.

The Jets became the first team in NHL history to win 14 of their first 15 games. They’re near the top in most categories, with a healthy mix of offense and goaltending getting the job done.

The Jets have struggled to cause much damage in recent years – they finished second in the Central Division last year, but fell to the Colorado Avalanche in five games. Their last series victory was a 4-0 sweep against the Edmonton Oilers in 2020-21, and they’ve only won two playoff rounds once in the team’s history.

But instead of making sweeping offseason changes – even though rumors continued to suggest they would – general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has stuck to his guns. He hasn’t torn the team to the ground just yet, and even signed two key players – Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck – to long-term deals last season.

In a recent chat with Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli for an episode of Frankly Speaking, Cheveldayoff broke down the team’s start and what he has noticed has contributed to the group’s success:

Frank Seravalli: “Kevin, the Winnipeg Jets are the first team in NHL history with 14 wins in their first 15 games. Did you see that coming?”

Kevin Cheveldayoff: “No, I don’t think anyone saw that coming. I think we did have a good training camp in the sense that we have a new coaching staff, but some familiar faces in that coaching staff. I think that kind of helped because there was lots of teaching going on, but there wasn’t a lot of real change that was going on.

“So it was a good training camp in that regard. We were very fortunate. We won three overtime games. We’ve had different games won in different manners. The other night, we won 1-0, and maybe we had no business winning. But Connor Hellebuyck wouldn’t let us lose. Again, you get on these kind of things, different things happen. But I think the thing that I’ve liked about it is there’s no high-fiving going on in the room. There’s no, “Look what we just did,” and it’s a matter of fact. Let’s get on to the next game.”

You can listen to the full episode below: