The Winnipeg Jets will always be looked at, from an outside perspective, as low men on the totem pole. Their metro area is the only one in the NHL with a population under one million. In fact, they’re almost half of the next highest team on this list.
That usually doesn’t scream long-term viability. Yet, this is the second time they’ve put a franchise in Winnipeg, and the fan base is, as we know, extremely supportive. They aren’t there for no reason.
As we know, however, this team faced economic trouble once free agency became more…well, free.