June 22 Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets

June 22, 2026 by

1. NHL:  The NHL off-season has now officially started, now that the Carolina Hurricanes have won the Stanley Cup.  I’m glad that’s over; it seemed like months of torture.

2. Jets:  Three of the four franchises that the NHL absorbed from the WHA have now won Stanley Cups …. I wonder which one hasn’t.

3. NHL:  Red Wings’ captain, Dylan Larkin, has asked for a trade and listed Florida, Minnesota, and Vegas as his destinations of choice.  WOW!  Also, asking for a trade is Oilers’ defenceman, Darnell Nurse.

4. Jets:  The NHL Entry Draft is this Friday and Saturday in Buffalo, and there is a lot of discussion in Jetsville whether Kevin Cheveldayoff should use the 8th overall pick in this year’s draft or trade it for a second-line center.  What do you think?

Should use the 8th overall pick or trade it for a second-line center.

  • No (51%, 160 Votes)
  • Yes (25%, 77 Votes)
  • Why settle for a second line center? (24%, 74 Votes)

Total Voters: 265

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5. Put That In Your Pipe And Smoke It:  I think NHL players who request a trade while under contract should lose all no-movement protection, making them null and void.  Case in point is Dylan Larkin.  He asks Detroit to trade him and then gives them a 3-team list.  That’s horseshit and will need to be addressed in the next CBA.  Players shouldn’t be able to dictate any trade parameters if they demand a trade.  IMHO, you can’t have it both ways, so Put That In Your Pipe And Smoke It.

6. NHL:  With NHL free agency fast approaching, a reminder that the salary cap for 2026 is set to be 104 million, with 76.9 million being the floor.  Most teams have lots of extra money to spend, and there will be a lot of competition for players in a slim UFA class.  Maybe we’ll see some offer sheets for the RFAs?!?! 

7. Jets:  TSN insider Darren Dreger appeared on the radio show Overdrive on Thursday and was direct in his assessment of the Winnipeg Jets’ situation, stating that he can

“confidently say that they’re not shopping Connor Hellebuyck.” 

Also, in a recent appearance on the Barn Burner podcast,  Dreger stated

the Jets have been willing to listen to offers on their three-time Vezina Trophy winner, a distinction that matters.  Listening and shopping are two very different things, and as of Thursday, Winnipeg appears to be firmly in the former camp.

8. Jets:  It doesn’t matter how much I hate a team, watching the players lift the SC never gets old. Seeing their joy and real emotion is special.

“I loved being in Winnipeg. This was the dream there. I’m obviously sad I wasn’t able to do that with the guys in Winnipeg and the city of Winnipeg. They hold a special place in my heart, I’ve said that. They’re family. The whole organization gave me a shot at playing in the NHL and I couldn’t be more thankful. Like I said, it was a hard decision this summer, but I loved my ten years in Winnipeg. It was a special time.”

9. Jets:  According to Dave Pagnota from “The Fourth Period”, the Winnipeg Jets have been linked to Vegas goaltender Adin Hill and Vancouver winger Jake DeBrusk.

10. Jets:  It looks like the Jets are going to get themselves a good defenceman.

11. Jets:  Jonathon Toews officially retired on Friday and was very eloquent in his farewell speech.

 “I’m so proud to be from Winnipeg.  Thank you for making this year so special. I hope I represented you well. Thank you very much.”

Check out the video version with Harley and Mitch on YouTube for a much more detailed look >>> https://www.youtube.com/live/Dhttps://youtube.com/live/Dv9eCne2f08v9eCne2f08?si=aK4VRGw58LAER3Uo

 

 

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May 4 Random Thoughts on the Manitoba Moose

May 4, 2026 by

1. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose and the Grand Rapids Griffins are tied 1-1 in their best-of-five series, with the final three games (if necessary) being played in Grand Rapids.  It’s going to take some huge effort from the offensively challenged Moose to win 2 games in the Griffins’ barn, but the Moose do have the goaltending to make it interesting.

2. Jets:  If Kyle Connor had half as much “give a shit” in his game as Brad Lambert, he’d be a superstar and a top winger for Team USA in international events.

3.  Moose:  The one thing I’ve noticed about the Manitoba Moose is that Mark Morrison doesn’t stack any line, but distributes the talent to all four lines and rolls them.

4. Moose:  Terell Bauer plays a simple game, and I’m sure he could play some bottom-6 minutes when the Jets require a little edge in the lineup.

5. Moose:  Brad Lambert is an automatic zone entry for the Moose, much like Nik Ehlers was for the Jets.

6. Moose:  I really hope this isn’t another case of Ville Heinola luck.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WINNIPEG, April 30, 2026

Defenceman Elias Salomonsson underwent successful surgery on his shoulder today. His rehabilitation is expected to take five to six months.

7. Things that make me go hmmm 🤔:  I find it interesting that the Moose decided to dress Garrett Brown instead of Alfons Freij.

8. Jets:  Thomas Milic was the Manitoba Moose MVP this season, and right now, probably their best goalie, but Domenic DiVensentiis has been the best goalie in the playoffs to this point and might be the better prospect because of his size.4  It’s going to be an interesting couple of years when talking about Jets goalies.

9. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose put maximum effort into every game, but sure don’t get a lot to show for it.

10.  Moose Turds:

  • Gus is definitely the Moose’s best faceoff man.
  • Domenic DiVincentiis is a much better puck handler than Connor Hellebuyck.
  • Domenic DiVincentiis has only allowed 4 goals in his 4 starts in the playoffs.  Overall, he is 3-1, along with a 1.02 GAA  and a .968 SV%.
  • Attendance was 5,007 on Saturday and 5,487 on Sunday.
  • The NHL Draft Lottery is on Tuesday night.

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Apr. 27 Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets

April 27, 2026 by

1. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose won their opening round series two games to one over the Milwaukee Admirals, exercising some old playoff demons from tough losses to Milwaukee in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Central Division Semifinals.

2. Jets:  I thought Brayden Yager showed pretty well in the 3 games he played with the Jets at the end of the season, and his solid play continued in his first three playoff games as a pro.  I’m sure he has his sights set on making the big club next season, and that could be a big ask for the young centerman, but I like what I am seeing, and I’m pulling for him.   

3.  Moose:  Domenic DiVincentiis was very solid in leading the Moose to both victories over the weekend when they were facing elimination after Thomas Milic dropped the first game to a very opportunistic Milwaukee squad.   

4. Moose:  It looks like the Moose will be rotating the goalies on a win-and-stay-in basis.

5. Moose:  A brilliant effort on the forecheck by David Gustafsson, and then a nice pass leads to the 2-0 goal for the Moose late in the second period to give the team a little breathing room going into the 3rd period, and boy did they need it.

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6. Moose:  I was very pleased and surprised with Elias Salomonsson’s level of physicality in the two games he played in the series.  Paired with Isaak Phillips, they made a formidable duo on the back end, and it is no coincidence the Moose won with Salo back in the lineup.

7. Things that make me go hmmm 🤔:  Why is David Gustafsson playing in the AHL?  I’m so on board with the “Gus Bus.”  I don’t get it.

8. Jets:  Based on what I’ve seen so far in the first round of the NHL playoffs, I’m not sure if the Jets could compete physically.

9. Jets:   Everybody was making a big deal about Helle’s garbage bag day interview, but not much has been said about this quote from Scott Arniel.

I’d love to be a 100 mph team, but I have to coach what’s in front of me.

10. Moose:  Brayden Yager and Brad Lambert have developed some interesting chemistry together.

11.  Moose Turds:

  • Gus has 3 points in 3 games (1 goal & 2 assists) and all of them huge.
  • Nobody stands in front of the Moose net when Terell Bauer is on the ice.
  • Domenic DiVincentiis only allowed 1 goal in each win this weekend, along with a .962 sv%.
  • Attendance was 4,853 for game 3.

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Apr. 20 Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets

April 20, 2026 by

Please join host Harley Friesen and Winnipeg Hockey Talk owner/writer Mitch Kasprick for a more in-depth discussion of these Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League on our new WHT YouTube channel here >>>> https://www.youtube.com/@WpgHockTalk LIVE every Monday at 7:00 pm.  

This week’s YouTube show

Listen to the detailed version of the Curmudgeon’s thoughts.  LIVE at 7:00 pm. 

Join Harley and Mitch on YouTube for the Apr. 20 Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets.  Here >>> https://www.youtube.com/@WpgHockTalk 

Check out our YouTube channel for the Winnipeg Jets season-ending report cards starting Wednesday morning.

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets’ season has mercifully come to a conclusion with them missing the playoffs after winning the “Presidents’ Trophy ” the previous year.  The Jets finished the season with an underwhelming 35-35-12 record.  What’s next?  WTF knows.

2. Jets:  I thought Brayden Yager showed pretty well in the 3 games he played, and I’m sure he has his sights set on making the big club next season, and that could be a big ask for the young centerman, but I liked what I saw, and I’m pulling for him.   

3. Things that make me go hmmm 🤔:  I often wonder how smart the Jets’ braintrust is when they watched Gus Nyquist flail away all season and accomplish SFA but thought that was still a better option than giving their prospects a look.  Sometimes you have to eat crow and admit you f’d up.  Chevy and Arniel wasted 51 games of prime developmental ice time on a 35-year-old.   

4. Jets:  Mark Scheifele won the “Three Stars Award” as the Jets player to receive the most ‘Three Stars’ honours in 2025-26.  Scheif also set the franchise record with 103 points this season. 

5. Jets:  The Dan Snyder Memorial Award is presented each year to the Winnipeg Jets player who embodies perseverance, dedication and hard work without reward or recognition, so that his team and teammates might succeed, and this year it was presented to Morgan Barron.

6. Jets:  Is the injury to Connor Hellebuyck and their post-Olympic run enough to save the job/jobs of Scott Arniel and/or Kevin Cheveldayoff?

Are the Coach and GM safe?

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7. Jets:  Scott Arniel admitted that he played injured players at 50%-60% healthy over healthy prospects.  Discuss amongst yourselves.

8. Jets:  Playoff and Lottery Odds: 

 

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9. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose will host the best-of-3 opening playoff round versus Milwaukee on April 22 at Canada Life Centre.   

GO MOOSE GO

10. Jets:  Tidbits and FYIs:

  • Mark Scheifele was tied for 3rd in the NHL with 80 even-strength points.
  • Morgan Barron led the Jets with 1:52 on-ice per game shorthanded.
  • Mark Scheifele and Dylan DeMelo will be off to the World Championship to play for Team Canada.
  • Thomas Milic was named Manitoba’s MVP this season.
  • The Moose presented Isaak Phillips with the Best Defenceman Award.

Check out our YouTube channel for the Winnipeg Jets season-ending report cards starting Wednesday morning .

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Apr.13 Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets

April 13, 2026 by

Please join host Harley Friesen and Winnipeg Hockey Talk owner/writer Mitch Kasprick for a more in-depth discussion of these Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League on our new WHT YouTube channel here >>>> https://www.youtube.com/@WpgHockTalk LIVE every Monday at 7:00 pm.  

This week’s YouTube show

Listen to the detailed version of the Curmudgeon’s thoughts.  LIVE at 7:00 pm. 

Join Harley and Mitch on YouTube for the Apr. 13 Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets.  Here >>> https://www.youtube.com/@WpgHockTalk

 

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets went 2-1-0 this past week but it won’t be enough as they are virtually on the brink of elimination.  The Jets gave it an honest effort post-Olympic break, but the hill was just too tall to climb.  Their record currently sits at 35-32-12.  To be officially eliminated, all it takes is for Los Angeles to gain 2 points or Winnipeg to drop 2 points in their final 3 games. 

2. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets recalled Nikita Chibrikov and Brayden Yager from the Manitoba Moose.  I’m looking forward to seeing Yager at the NHL level, and I’m already a fan of Chibs. 

3. Things that make me go hmmm 🤔:  I didn’t think much of it at the time, but I can’t help but wonder if the Jets’ performance vs Philadelphia was a direct result of LA defeating Edmonton 1-0 in an afternoon game on Saturday.  Hoping a win vs Philly gets them to within 1 point of LA must have been a kick in the groin that the Oilers couldn’t even muster up 1 goal against LA.

4. Jets:  Miracles do happen.  The Jets’ power play actually won them a hockey game, going 3 for 3 in a 6-2 win over Seattle.  The powerplay staked them to a 3-1 lead after 2 periods, and the team never looked back.  All it took was a Jonathon Toews for Cole Perfetti swap to ignite them.

5. Jets:  Mark Scheifele notched his 900th career point on Monday vs Seattle, and with his 2 points vs St. Louis, he now has 99 points, 1 point from his first 100-point season.  What a waste of Scheif’s best season.

6. Jets:  Is the injury to Connor Hellebuyck and their post-Olympic run enough to save the job/jobs of Scott Arniel and/or Kevin Cheveldayoff?

Are the Coach and GM safe?

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7. Jets:  This past week really showed me how much confidence Brad Lambert has gained, and I must admit I was very, very concerned he might be another overrated prospect, and I can’t see him playing in the AHL next year.

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8. Jets:  Playoff and Lottery Odds:  As of April 12, the Winnipeg Jets are not eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, but their chances are slim, and none and slim just left town.

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9. Moose:  Moose clinch with 6 games to go in the regular season! 

10. Jets:  Special Teams:  Rule of thumb. 

Have the power play and penalty kill (PK and PP) numbers total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).

  • PP: 24th at 18.10% (net 25th at 16.20%) +4
  • PK: 19th at 78.50% (net 19th at 81.30%)
  • FO: 10th at 51.00%

11. Jets:  Goaltending:

  • Connor Hellebuyck:  23-22-11 … 2.80 GAA … .897 SV%
  • Eric Comrie:  12-9-1 … 2.95 GAA … .894 SV%

12. Jets:  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.

  • Good:  Alex Iafallo, almost every night. 
  • Bad:  Jacob Bryson, Dylan DeMelo, and Haydn Fluery.  These are not SC dmen.
  • Ugly:  Saturday night.

13. Jets: Tidbits and FYIs:

  • The Jets’ record since the Olympic break is a solid 13-6-4.
  • Jonathon Toews nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually by the NHL to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
  • Josh Morrissey didn’t make it into TSN’s “Top 10” Norris Trophy candidates. Discuss amongst yourselves.
  • Gabe Vilardi has been nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, presented to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities and makes a notable contribution to the community.

14. Jets:  Pet Peeve:  Fans and media that continuously defend and make excuses for the owner, the GM, or the coach.  Why is nobody at TNSE ever accountable?

15. WHT on X:

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