The Vegas Golden Knights entered the NHL by exploiting a unique expansion draft format. They’ve followed that success by competing for every star player on the trade and UFA markets, trading for elite performers Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Mitch Marner. They’ve signed everyone they’ve needed to sign, moved on from core players well before they were forced, and let older core pieces walk instead of committing UFA money to players past their prime.There’s also the part where they fired their 2023 Stanley Cup-winning head coach shortly before the playoffs began. It was a move so antithetical to the Winnipeg Jets’ loyalty-focused approach that we felt moved to reimagine the Jets’ 10 most important transactions through a more ruthless, Vegas-esque lens. Not every ruthless re-do worked out better for Winnipeg — be careful what you wish for — but the comment section was filled with people suggesting we take the ruthless approach toward this Jets offseason.Now that Vegas has reached its third Stanley Cup Final in only nine years, it’s time to make good on the request. This is Winnipeg’s ruthless route forward — starting with difficult decisions about an aging core, superstars included.1. Picking a lane: Live in the moment, retool, or rebuild?The backstory: Winnipeg isn’t good enough to win the Stanley Cup, as constructed, and needs more impact players than it has available. Miss the playoffs again and core players like Connor Hellebuyck may shift their priorities elsewhere, despite long-term contracts.In Vegas, the answer would be simple. Whereas most teams follow competitive cycles, the Golden Knights have maneuvered their way into a perpetual state of “win now.” Don’t want to pay Jonathan Marchessault? That’s fine: Just acquire Tomas Hertl, Noah Hanifin, Reilly Smith, and Rasmus Andersson at successive trade deadlines. Sign UFA Alex Pietrangelo. Trade Nate Schmidt after the fact. You’ll figure out the cap; you always do. And if a truly great player like Eichel, Stone, or Marner becomes available? Go all-in, fearing nothing. They’ll sign long-term, without issue.Winnipeg can’t beat Vegas at being Vegas. The Jets’ loyalty-based approach — signing top veterans well into their late 30s — is one alternative, but has its limits. The Jets have succeeded when they fin unheralded players on other teams but they haven’t recently acquired elite talent via trade, UFA, or the draft. When they have spent first-round picks for Paul Stastny, Kevin Hayes, and Sean Monahan, those players have signed elsewhere. Winnipeg’s approach requires an outstanding prospect pipeline, ambitious promotion from within, and excellent retention rates of its own top prospects but often lacks draft capital.The ruthless approach: Ownership would hate it. It would probably hurt attendance. It would dismantle decades-long relationships with players the Jets drafted, developed, and retained. But the most ruthless approach is to sell Winnipeg’s mid-30s talent while it’s still performing at a high level.This is one of the worst UFA markets in years. The salary cap has increased to $104 million and is projected to go up again in 2027-28 and 2028-29. There may never be a better market for elite players like Mark Scheifele and Hellebuyck at $8.5 million cap hits. Scheifele just scored 103 points, while Hellebuyck added an Olympic gold medal to his Hart Trophy and three Vezinas. Josh Morrissey is one of the league’s top defencemen, despite a paltry $6.25 million cap hit. Kyle Connor’s $12 million AAV is higher, but he’s scored the 11th most goals in the NHL over the past three seasons.