Jets @ Rangers

Who will WIN this matchup?

Winnipeg Jets

@ New York Rangers

Starting Goalies:

Connor Hellebuyck (WPG): Unconfirmed

Henrik Lundqvist (NYR): Confirmed

Current odds:

Winnipeg Jets: (+105)

New York Rangers: (-125)

• The New York Rangers still are rebuilding after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but hope several key offseason additions accelerate their return to prominence entering Thursday’s season opener at home against the Winnipeg Jets. The Rangers signed prized free-agent forward Artemi Panarin, traded for former Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba and drafted 18-year-old forward Kaapo Kakko with the second overall pick to bolster the roster.
There will be plenty of eyes on Kakko, a Calder Cup candidate who scored 26 goals in 50 games (regular season and playoffs) in Finland last season then shined with six goals in 10 games at the World Championships, as the Rangers look to improve offensively after finishing 23rd in the NHL in goals scored.

• The Jets made the playoffs for the second consecutive season but were upset by eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis in the first round, and feature a far different defensive corps after losing Trouba and Tyler Myers in the offseason, then seeing Dustin Byfuglien take a leave of absence on the eve of training camp. First-round draft pick Ville Heinola made the opening-night roster as an 18-year-old defenseman following an impressive camp. Center Mark Scheifele and forward Blake Wheeler return to anchor an offense that ranked seventh in goals scored last season, but the Jets may start slow offensively considering forwards Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine did not sign until Saturday.

• Wheeler (third in the NHL with 71 assists last season) and Scheifele (tied for 14th with 38 goals) team up again on the Jets top line, with forward Nikolaj Ehlers likely to join them until Connor (65 goals the past two seasons) gets up to speed. Laine disappointed last season after scoring 44 goals in 2017-18, recording nine in his final 54 games. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck faced a NHL-high 2,051 shots in 2018-19 and surrendered a league-most 179 goals as his goals against average rose to 2.90 from 2.36 the previous season.

• Panarin, who recorded 28 goals and 87 points for Columbus last season, signed a seven-year, $81.5 million deal and joins forward Pavel Buchnevich (21 goals in 64 games a season ago) on the top line. Center Mika Zibanejad returns to the No. 1 line after leading New York with 30 goals, 44 assists and 74 points. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist finished 18-23-10 with a career-worst 3.07 goals against average in 52 games a season ago, and the 37-year-old may cede more playing time to Alexandar Georgiev (14-13-4, 2.91).

• Winnipeg C Bryan Little (concussion) will miss the opener, while D Nathan Beaulieu (lower body) will be sidelined at least four weeks.

• The Rangers open the season with 11 of their first 16 games at home, while the Jets begin with five of their first six contests on the road.

• New York’s opening-night roster has an average age of 25.6 years old, including eight players age 23 or younger.