With players such as Anthony Mantha and Eeli Tolvanen on the market, there’s still time for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to go back to free agency to build the 2026-27 Winnipeg Jets.But Cheveldayoff has been adamant that some of Winnipeg’s improvement next season must come from the players it already has on its roster.“You go through some individual players,” Cheveldayoff said before the NHL Draft last month. “Guys that had career years two years ago, some of them struggled last year. A lot of them took ownership of that and said that they’ve got to be better.”The list of underperforming players creates an X-factor for the Jets’ performance next season. It includes captain Adam Lowry, veteran defencemen such as Neal Pionk and Dylan DeMelo, and prime-aged players such as Cole Perfetti and Dylan Samberg who were hurt to start last season. It even includes trade candidate Connor Hellebuyck, whose range of impacts on the Jets’ fortunes varies wildly, whether or not he’s traded before the season begins.NHL free agency: Early winners and losersShayna Goldman and Madison EadesWhich Jets are Winnipeg’s biggest X-factors next season? When Cheveldayoff’s offseason work is done, which Jets veterans will have the biggest impact on the team’s playoff ambitions for 2027? Here are best- and worst-case scenarios, plus my projections for each player’s performance in 2026-27.Stuart Skinner, G, 27Best reasonable case: Hellebuyck is traded, and Skinner becomes the Jets’ No. 1 goalie. He gives Winnipeg 50 to 55 games of quality goaltending, turning his opportunity to work with Wade Flaherty into the best season of his career. Whether through systems play or a renewed teamwide commitment to defence, the Jets give Skinner fewer Grade-A scoring chances to fend off than they gave Hellebuyck last season. His save percentage lands inside the top 10 among starters — perhaps close to the .913 he delivered in his best season in Edmonton.Worst reasonable case: Hellebuyck is traded, Skinner becomes the Jets’ No. 1 goalie, and Winnipeg gives him Hellebuyck’s old workload. He falters in the role, posting numbers closer to the .885 save percentage and 45th-best goals saved above expected he recorded in Pittsburgh. The Jets miss the playoffs for the second straight season but draft outside the top five.Projection: Skinner plays spectacularly at times and miserably at others, posting numbers that reflect an adequate No. 1A goaltender. If a Hellebuyck trade materializes, Skinner posts a .900 save percentage in 55 starts. If Hellebuyck starts the season with the Jets, then Skinner’s save percentage increases but his workload falls. He is the Jets’ No. 1 goaltender by 2027-28 at the latest.Adam Lowry, C, 33Best reasonable case: Lowry puts together the most effective offseason regimen of his life. He reestablishes enough pop in his step to close off his checks, getting to better defensive positions in open ice and delivering punishment along the walls. The black hole that was Lowry’s offensive zone heat map turns red again, indicating that he has won his battles, worn down his opponents and driven to the net like he did in his best years. His return to form is so complete that Winnipeg controls the shot clock and scoreboard when he is on the ice. His surgically repaired hip becomes a distant memory.