Jets bring back Ondrej Pavelec to save their trembling season

In any other season, the Winnipeg Jets would be out of contention right now.

Winnipeg sits sixth in the Western Conference with 44 points in 47 games. They’ve dropped four straight games and eight of their last 14.

And yet, they still have a chance at the playoffs. With the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators scuffling, Winnipeg sits just four points back of the wild card spot. And they’re bringing back an old friend to get them there.

On Monday, the Jets recalled veteran goaltender Ondrej Pavelec from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Pavelec, one of the few remaining holdovers from the Atlanta Thrasher years, has spent most of the season buried in the AHL while the Jets relied on young goalies Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson to carry them.

There’s a reason he was in Manitoba. Pavelec’s reign as Jets starter was one of stagnation: In nine seasons, the Czech-born goalie accumulated a meager .907 save percentage. The lone improvement was in 2015, when it jumped to .928 and the Jets made the playoffs. But Winnipeg and Pavelec regressed mightily last season, and the franchise decided to move on.

But they didn’t cut ties entirely, and Hellebuyck and Hutchinson have been unable to keep the puck out of the net in recent weeks. Winnipeg is 8-10-2 when outshooting their opponent and 7-10 in one-goal games. Hellebuyck has a .907 save percentage; Hutchinson’s .893 percentage is among the worst in the NHL.

So Pavelec will get another chance to prove his worth. And it’s hard to say he hasn’t earned it. The 29-year-old put up a 8-7-2 record, a 2.78 goals against average and a .917 save percentage in the AHL this season.

It could be quite the redemption story for one of the NHL’s most beleaguered goaltenders.