Jets grab top spot, Oettinger’s shutout sparks Stars: Central Division roundup

Jets move into first with win in Pittsburgh

The Winnipeg Jets wake up alone on top of the Central Division table. Their 3–2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins gives them 5 points through 3 games (2-0-1), the only Central team without a regulation loss so far. In an early Western Conference landscape where no one has pulled away yet, that steady start already gives Winnipeg a useful cushion.

The win keeps the Jets just ahead of the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild, both perfect so far at 2-0-0 with 4 points and idle on Monday, as well as the Utah Mammoth, who also sit at 4 points through 3 games (2-1-0).

Oettinger shutout delivers Stars’ first win

In Dallas, the Stars finally put a mark in the win column, and they did it emphatically. Jake Oettinger stopped all 14 shots he faced for his 17th career shutout in a 5–0 win over the San Jose Sharks on Monday night, securing the Stars’ first victory of the season.

The result lifts Dallas to 1-2-0 (2 points), leaving them seventh in the Central, ahead of only the Chicago Blackhawks (0-3-0, 0 points). After two shaky outings to open the schedule, this convincing performance gives the Stars the kind of early statement game they were looking for and pulls them back toward the division pack.

Predators and Jets in the off‑ice spotlight

Off the ice, two pieces published Monday pulled Central Division teams into the broader league conversation. One article involving the Jets highlighted NHLPA executive Ron Hainsey’s pushback against Gary Bettman’s recent comments on no‑trade and no‑move clauses, which Hainsey framed as an attack on player rights negotiated into the collective agreement — an issue that touches every roster, including Winnipeg’s.

Another analysis on Elias Pettersson’s hot, physical start in Vancouver, which is reshaping the Canucks’ trade calculus, also connects the Nashville Predators to the wider picture of teams keeping an eye on that situation. Nashville, sitting with 2 points in 2 games (1-1-0) and idle yesterday, is already part of early‑season discussions about the market for high‑end talent.