Jets Look to Build Draft Odds Against Playoff-Bound Mammoth

The Winnipeg Jets may have seen their playoff hopes vanish, but their focus has shifted to the NHL Draft Lottery as they prepare to face the postseason-bound Mammoth in Utah. Just a day after their elimination from Stanley Cup contention, the Jets are looking to improve their draft positioning with only two games left in the season.

Tied for 24th in the league alongside St. Louis and Florida, Winnipeg currently holds the eighth-best odds for securing the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft Lottery, scheduled for May 5. With a maximum of 86 points attainable through two more wins, the Jets are fighting to avoid what could be their second-worst season since returning to Manitoba, should they finish with 82 points.

As they gear up for this back-to-back matchup, the Jets opted not to skate on Tuesday, leaving their forward lines and defensive pairings shrouded in mystery until closer to puck drop. However, it has been confirmed that Eric Comrie will start in goal, giving Connor Hellebuyck a much-deserved night off after months of action. The lineup is expected to mirror the group that took the ice in Vegas on Monday.

Projected Line Combinations

For their matchup against the Mammoth on Tuesday, April 14, the Jets are anticipated to line up as follows:

• Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
• Perfetti-Lowry-Lambert
• Koepke-Toews-Rosén
• Niederreiter-Yager-Chibrikov
• Nyquist
• Morrissey-DeMelo
• Samberg-Miller
• Fleury-Bryson
• Heinola

As the Jets look to finish the season on a high note, they will be hoping to enhance their chances in the draft lottery while providing a competitive challenge to the Mammoth.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.