Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Apr. 26

April 26, 2021 by

Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”

Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in hockey –

Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Ice, and all Team Canada Hockey teams.

I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula.  I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned. 

UPDATE:  Paul Maurice confirmed this morning that Nikolaj Ehlers is out for the remainder of the regular season but confident he will return by the start of the playoffs.

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets have lost 3 games in a row for the first time this season and there is a lot of gloom and doom amongst the Jets fan base.  Is there reason to be concerned?  I’ll let you know after their two game series against Edmonton this week.    

UPDATE:  The Winnipeg Jets were humiliated at home last night by the Edmonton Oilers (6-1) and are now in 3rd place and it looks like they will be facing the Oilers in the first round with Edmonton having home-ice advantage.  Right now there aren’t too many Jets fans that think we can beat Edmonton in a 7-games series after suffering their 5th consecutive loss to the McDavids.  This is starting to feel a lot like Edmonton vs Winnipeg 1.0.

2. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets had two home games last week versus Toronto and lost them both leaving no doubt that Toronto is probably the the top team in the North Division.  That didn’t taste very good coming out.  The Jets are now 8 points behind Toronto for first and will now have to set their sights on holding on to second place.  The Jets are currently 1 point ahead of third place Edmonton with the Oilers having two games in hand.  Winnipeg plays Edmonton twice at home this week starting tonight.  These next two games could determine who gets home-ice in their probable first-round match-up.  Their overall record currently sits at 27-17-3. 

3. Jets:  After back to back loses versus Toronto AGAIN, I think that makes 6 or 7 straight losses at home against the Leafs leaving Winnipeg’s home-ice record at a very underwhelming 11-9-2.  This team has a much better record on the road which makes no sense.  Actually there is a lot of things about this team that make no sense right now.  I guess an optimist might say it is better to go through this shitty stretch now than in the playoffs.  The only problem is there is no magic switch to turn it around and that is what concerns me.        

4. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose played 2 games this past week versus Stockton and won them both improving their record to 13-11-2-0 on the season.  Cole Perfetti continued his strong play notching 2 goals and 2 assists in the two games improving his totals to 8 goals, 13 assists, for 21 points in 26 games.  Perfetti looks very comfortable now at the AHL level and maybe he isn’t too far away from taking the next step.   

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5. Jets:  Poll Question:  Should Chevy cut a deal with Seattle GM Ron Francis so the Jets don’t lose a player off their roster in the expansion draft?  In the 2017 Vegas expansion draft the Jets and Vegas cut a deal where the Golden Knights would select Chris Thorburn’s expiring contract.  In the deal they flip-flopped 1st rounders with Winnipeg acquiring the 24th pick (from Vegas, from Columbus) in the 2017 NHL Draft in exchange for the 13th pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and the Jets third-round selection in 2019.  

Will Chevy or should Chevy cut a deal with Seattle GM Ron Francis so the Jets don't lose a player in the expansion draft?

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6. Jets:  The Jets last good game was their 5-2 victory in Toronto on April 15.  Where has that team gone?

7. Jets:  As the games get heavier Kyle Conner becomes less visible and it scares me.  This reminds me of his play versus Calgary in the bubble although I will give him credit for attempting to come to Blake Wheeler’s aid on Thursday night.  I liked pissed off KC but the Jets just need KC to be KC.     

8. Jets:  Jordie Benn made his Winnipeg Jets debut on Thursday vs Toronto and taking into consideration he hasn’t played in a month I’m not going to overanalyze his play but it wasn’t great.  I’ll reserve judgement until I’ve seen him play a few more games but he looks like a depth defenceman as advertised.  He is still better than some of our depth guys from last season though.  The more I think about that dog’s breakfast of a blueline last year the more I appreciate our current group.   

9. Jets:  I’m officially done with Tucker Poolman.  Right now I would put him behind Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Dylan DeMelo, Ville Heinola, Logan Stanley,  Dylan Samberg , and whatever UFA they sign or defenceman they trade for during the off-season.  I think he has probably reached his ceiling but one thing is certain, he is probably better suited as a third pairing defenceman.  It isn’t his fault he is being deployed above his pay grade, that is on Paul Maurice.  Poolman is 27-years-old and pending UFA but with a well stocked Manitoba Moose team, I’m not sure I bring him back.   

10. Jets:  Is Paul Maurice’s message being lost on this team?  Many think so and think it is time for a new voice.     

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11.NHL:  NHL officiating is at an all-time low for me right now and it was on full display last week in Winnipeg.  I don’t know what Graham Skilliter and Marc Joannette were watching on Thursday but they were brutal.  The hooking, interference, and dirty play that the Leafs got away with was amazing.  I haven’t complained much about officiating this season because it is usually bad both ways but in this game it seemed very one-sided.  The non-call on Nick Foligno after pile-driving Josh Morrissey from behind was a head-shaker.  I don’t why I’m even surprised anymore.   

12. NHL:  Key dates.

  • May 16 – End of the regular season
  • May ?? – Playoffs begin
  • July 15 – The latest the Stanley Cup can be awarded
  • July 17 – Expansion draft protection lists tentatively due
  • July 21 – Expansion draft
  • July 23-24 – 2021 NHL Entry Draft
  • July 28 – Free agency opens

13. Jets:  I know Winnipeg fans aren’t going to want to hear this but even though the team has some terrific prospects in the pipeline I’m a little concerned about this team moving forward.  As much as we are enjoying the Canadian Division the truth is it isn’t very good, probably the weakest of the four.  Next year the Jets will be back in the Central Division with tougher teams like Colorado, St. Louis, Minnesota, and improving teams like Chicago, Arizona and Nashville.  I hate to say it but this team is going to be in tough to get a wild-card spot. 

14. Jets:  I mentioned it last week and I’ll mention it again, but one of the early season surprises, Derek Forbort, is really struggling right now.  He looks slower than usual and is coughing up the puck more and more.  I think the grind of playing big minutes against the other team’s top lines has finally caught up with him.  It is time to get Ville Heinola into the lineup.  Just for shits and giggles, I would love to see him play alongside Neal Pionk.  There would be some sweet puck movement there.   

15. Jets:  Schedule

Update:  The May 7 game vs Ottawa has been re-scheduled to Monday, April 5.  This is due to the two postponed Vancouver games this week.

16. Jets:  When Dustin Byfuglien left the Winnipeg Jets it looks like he took their hearts and souls with him.  I know this sounds harsh and might be motivated by the team’s uninspired play lately but this team has no jam and the way they let Toronto push them around in their own barn was very disheartening to watch and I know I’m not alone in thinking this. 

17. Jets:  Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).  I also base the movement (up or down) on the % and not the NHL ranking.

These are the Winnipeg Jets rankings within the seven team Canadian Division.  Since all games played during the regular season are divisional the rest of the league’s numbers don’t really matter.

  • PP: 2nd at 25.20% down from 26.10% last week.
  • PK: 1st at 81.10 up from 80.30% last week. 
  • FO: 5th at 49.60 up from 49.50% last week.

18. Jets:  It is going to be interesting to see what pending RFA, Neal Pionk and his camp will be looking for in his next contract?  He is undoubtedly looking at Josh Morrissey’s contract and licking his lips.  Does he sign a bridge deal or does he sign a long-term deal?  Stay tuned.    

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  21-13-3 … 2.58 GAA … .917 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit:  6-4-0 … 2.47 GAA … .920 SV%

We’re not going to speak of Helle’s adventures against Toronto, as far as I’m concerned it never happened.

20. Jets:  There would be no bigger cure for the angst in Jetsville than a couple of victories over the hated Edmonton McDraisaitls this week.  I don’t know about you but I’m getting tired of losing to Edmonton and Toronto.       

*

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

If you have any questions, please give me a shout. You can use the comment section or use the #ASKWHTPOD hashtag on Twitter.

If you like our new format, let us know in the comment section or hit me on Twitter at WpgSportsTalk or WpgHockTalk

If you are interested in writing for Winnipeg Sports Talk or if you know somebody interested, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are looking for writers to cover the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, The Winnipeg ICE, Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg AAA, MJHL, MMJHL, KIJHL, and Winnipeg High School or any sports team in town.

If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch
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Mathieu Perreault: A Pro’s Pro

April 21, 2021 by

What to do with Mathieu Perreault? – 

I’ve always been a big fan of Mathieu Perreault and what’s prompted me to write this article is the realization that he becomes a UFA at the end of this season. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured, Roster Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Apr. 19

April 19, 2021 by

Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”

Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in hockey –

Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Ice, and all Team Canada Hockey teams.

I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula.  I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned. 

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets returned home from a successful (4-1) road trip this week and then stunk the joint out on Saturday night versus a well rested Edmonton Oilers team.  The good guys looked tired and slow in a 3-0 loss.  What is it about these first home games after a road trip?  The Jets are now 4 points behind Toronto for first and 3 points ahead of third place Edmonton.  They play Toronto and Edmonton twice each in their next 4 home games.  These next four games could either clear up the top of the division or muddle it up even more, we’ll see in a couple of weeks.  Their overall record currently sits at 27-15-3. 

2. NHL:  FYI:  Seattle is required to draft 14 forward, 9 defencemen, and 3 goalies according to their expansion agreement AND the Vegas Golden Knights are exempt from the expansion draft per their entry agreement.  The most any team can lose is one player.  

3. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets just finished a stretch of 22 games where 17 were on the road.  They went a very impressive 11-5-1 away from home and 13-7-2 overall in that stretch.  That is a lot of hockey in a 43 days.  The Jets now finish off their season with 9 of 12 at home.     

4. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose only played 1 game last week, a solid 5-1 victory over Belleville.  They start a 5-game series at home this week vs Stockton before closing out their season with seven road games in Toronto and Belleville.  Their overall record improved too .500 at 11-11-2-0.  

5. Jets:  Poll Question:  Should Chevy cut a deal with Seattle GM Ron Francis so the Jets don’t lose a player off their roster in the expansion draft?  In the 2017 Vegas expansion draft the Jets and Vegas cut a deal where the Golden Knights would select Chris Thorburn’s expiring contract.  In the deal they flip-flopped 1st rounders with Winnipeg acquiring the 24th pick (from Vegas, from Columbus) in the 2017 NHL Draft in exchange for the 13th pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and the Jets third-round selection in 2019.  

Will Chevy or should Chevy cut a deal with Seattle GM Ron Francis so the Jets don't lose a player in the expansion draft?

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6. Jets:  I’m starting to find Kyle Connor’s defensive play or should I say lack of defensive play very tiresome and it’s even worse when he and Mark Scheifele are on the ice together.  It is a real “Catch 22” for Paul Maurice, they are very good together offensively but a gong show in the defensive end.  This is further magnified when Paul Maurice tries to match the Scheifele line vs Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews, it rarely ends well for the Jets.     

7. Jets:  Adam Lowry signed a very “team friendly” five-year contract to remain in Winnipeg.  Lowry will receive $2,500,000, $3,250,000, $4,500,000, $3,25,000, and $2,500,000 over the next five seasons.  The contract has an average annual value of $3,250,000 and contains a modified (6 team) no-trade clause.  There is no doubt that Lowry could have been paid much more money if he went to market, even in this flat cap era.  Sometimes I like to make fun of the Jets “kumbaya” attitude but there is obviously a lot to be said for being happy in your workplace.        

8. Jets:  I thought Logan Stanley had his worst game of the year Saturday vs Edmonton.  It was bound to happen and I’m just waiting for the haters to pounce.

9. Jets:  Saturday night vs Edmonton was the first game I can actually say I was a little disappointed in the play of Pierre-Luc Dubois although he wasn’t alone.  The whole Jets team looked slow and tired and the well rested Oilers really made them look bad at times.  I’m not sure if anybody noticed but Paul Maurice sat PLD for the last half of the third period.  Message sent, now we’ll wait and see how he responds.

10. Jets:  With the acquisition of Jordie Benn at the trade deadline I would like to see a little more competition for play on the 3rd pairing.  I would like to see Ville Heinola, Logan Stanley, and Jordie Benn rotate in and out and you can actually add Derek Forbot to the list.  Forbort’s play is slipping and he could use an occasional night off.

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11. NHL:  There were rumours that Adam Gaudette was the Canucks player that broke protocol and started the spread of Covid throughout the team.  Based on his early exit on trade deadline day (traded to Chicago) I would say that might be a safe observation.  I would say his being traded was probably for his own protection because I’m sure there was a lineup of players that wanted to kick the crap out of him.  I’m looking forward to the first Vancouver/Chicago game next season. 

12. NHL:  Key dates.

  • May 8 – End of the regular season
  • May 11 – Playoffs begin
  • July 15 – The latest the Stanley Cup can be awarded
  • July 17 – Expansion draft protection lists tentatively due
  • July 21 – Expansion draft
  • July 23-24 – 2021 NHL Entry Draft
  • July 28 – Free agency opens

13. Jets: Poll Question:  Last weeks poll question about Chevy and his trade deadline showed that 90% of Jets fans were fine with not trading away 1st round picks and prospects for a rental player.    

Are you ok with the Winnipeg Jets trade deadline day?

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14. NHL:  Ya, the NHL doesn’t have a goal crease problem!  This was from Thursday night this past week.   

    

15. Jets:  Schedule

Update:  The May 7 game vs Ottawa has been re-scheduled to Monday, April 5.  This is due to the two postponed Vancouver games this week.

16. Jets:  Remember the days when “Big Buff” played and Connor McDavid was a non-factor against the Jets? 

17. Jets:  Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).  I also base the movement (up or down) on the % and not the NHL ranking.

These are the Winnipeg Jets rankings within the seven team Canadian Division.  Since all games played during the regular season are divisional the rest of the league’s numbers don’t really matter.

  • PP: 2nd at 26.10% up from 25.80% last week.
  • PK: 2nd at 80.30 down from 81.00% last week. 
  • FO: 5th at 49.50 up from 49.10% last week.

18. Jets:  I was on the fence when Chevy signed Derek Forbort but he has been a better UFA signing than I originally expected.  I didn’t have very high expectations for him but he has played surprisingly well for the most part.  I think his play has regressed some lately but when I compare him to what we had on our blueline last season he is still an improvement.  Based on his salary ($1,000,000) and his usage, I still think he was a good signing.     

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  21-12-3 … 2.50 GAA … .919 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit:  6-3-0 … 2.57 GAA … .916 SV%

20. Jets:  I don’t hate the Nate Thompson signing  as much as I did the day the Jets signed him.  I was livid when Chevy first signed him but he has proved me wrong.  Thompson and Trevor Lewis along Mathieu Perreault/Jansen Harkins have been a solid 4th line.    

*

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

If you have any questions, please give me a shout. You can use the comment section or use the #ASKWHTPOD hashtag on Twitter.

If you like our new format, let us know in the comment section or hit me on Twitter at WpgSportsTalk or WpgHockTalk

If you are interested in writing for Winnipeg Sports Talk or if you know somebody interested, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are looking for writers to cover the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, The Winnipeg ICE, Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg AAA, MJHL, MMJHL, KIJHL, and Winnipeg High School or any sports team in town.

If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Apr. 12

April 12, 2021 by

Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”

Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in hockey –

Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Ice, and all Team Canada Hockey teams.

I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula.  I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned. 

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets had a good week going 3-0-0 and jumped into second place in the Scotia North Division.  They are one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers with a game in hand.  Their overall record currently sits at 25-13-3. 

2. NHL:  St. Adolphe wasn’t selected as the winner of Kraft Hockeyville but as they say, it was an honour to be nominated.  I was really pulling for them.  I’m sure they’re disappointed but $25,000 is a decent consolation prize that will be put to good use.  Congrats to everyone involved.  

3. Jets:  Not much going on up to this point with the Winnipeg Jets as far as a trade is concerned.  Prices seem steep although I wouldn’t have minded Brandon Montour for a 3rd round pick.

4. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose played 3 games this week versus Belleville going 2-1 and improved their overall record to 10-11-2-0.  The Moose have 6 games left on their current homestand before finishing off their season with 7 games on the road.  Winnipeg Jets 2020 first-round pick Cole Perfetti is playing meaningful minutes and the nineteen-year-old has put up am impressive 17 points in 24 games (including Monday’s game).     

5. Jets:  Poll Question:  Who is your biggest surprise on the Winnipeg Jets roster so far this season?

Logan Stanley was the winner with 65% of the vote.  For me this wasn’t much of a surprise since the expectations for him were very low.  Stanley he has made great strides and has even impressed a lot of his doubters. 

6. Jets:  I just about lost my lunch when I was glancing at some Winnipeg Jets stats and noticed that Kyle Connor (39) is only six points ahead of Andrew Copp (33) in scoring.  Based on opportunity and deployment I say good on you Andrew and shame on you KC.  KC with top unit PP and better line-mates should be higher in my opinion.      

7. Jets:  The Jets 1st unit PP is struggling.  It seems predictable, it moves the puck slowly and lacks a net-front presence.  The 2nd unit is having more success because Neal Pionk and Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers don’t pass up good shooting opportunities and Mathieu Perreault isn’t afraid to get in front of the opposition goalie.  You don’t have to have a cannon from the point to have success.  Josh Morrissey has an adequate shot and needs to find the shooting lanes and SHOOT more.

Update:  The Jets PP went 1 for 6 and probably cost them the game.  They did score one nice goal on their first attempt but in the next five they couldn’t solve Gustafsson and probably gave up as many scoring chance as they created.         

8. NHL:  Blaming Torts for Patrik Laine’s play is a lazy narrative in my opinion.  

9. Jets:  This should help and might be a clue that something is cooking.  


10. Jets:  How did the Brady Tkachuk elbow to Blake Wheeler’s face go unpunished by the clowns that run the NHL’s Department of Player Safety?  What the hell does it take?  These clowns need to wake the hell up.  Wheeler is suffering concussion symptoms and all Tkachuk’s elbow to the face rated was a minor penalty.  WHAT A JOKE.   

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11. NHL:  Man those Vegas Golden Knights bright gold helmets are fugly.  

12. NHL:  Key dates.

  • Mar. 12 – Players on one-year deals can sign extensions (usually Jan. 1)
  • Apr. 12 – Trade Deadline
  • May 8 – End of the regular season
  • May 11 – Playoffs begin
  • July 15 – The latest the Stanley Cup can be awarded
  • July 17 – Expansion draft protection lists tentatively due
  • July 21 – Expansion draft
  • July 23-24 – 2021 NHL Entry Draft
  • July 28 – Free agency opens

13. Jets: Poll Question:   TRADE DEADLINE POLL 

TRADE UPDATE:

The Winnipeg Jets trade a 2021 6th round pick to Vancouver for defenceman Jordie Benn.

Are you happy with Kevin Cheveldayoff’s move or lack of moves.

Are you ok with the Winnipeg Jets trade deadline day?

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14. Jets:  There is a certain faction of Jets fans that irritate the living crap out of me and especially on Twitter.  They refuse to give Logan Stanley any credit whatsoever.  What’s the problem?  Is he too tall?  Does he have too long a reach?  Is it the toughness he adds to the team?  WHAT?       

15. Jets:  Schedule

Update:  The May 7 game vs Ottawa has been re-scheduled to Monday, April 5.  This is due to the two postponed Vancouver games this week.

16. Jets:  Is there anything more satisfying than a low stress win against a hated original six team like the Habs on a Saturday night?  I guess beating Toronto is right up there as well.  Now that I think about it, beating Edmonton and Calgary is pretty sweet too.

17. Jets:  Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).  I also base the movement (up or down) on the % and not the NHL ranking.

These are the Winnipeg Jets rankings within the seven team Canadian Division.  Since all games played during the regular season are divisional the rest of the league’s numbers don’t really matter.

  • PP: 2nd at 25.80% up from 25.70% last week.
  • PK: 1st at 81.00 up from 80.20% last week. 
  • FO: 5th at 49.10 up from 48.60% last week.

UPDATE:  Today, the National Hockey League has announced that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and the First Nations Pandemic Rapid Response Team’s Melanie MacKinnon have been named the NHL’s Co-First Stars of the Week for the week ending April 11, 2021.  Hellebuyck went 3-0-0 last week with a .938 save percentage and a 1.67 goals against average.

18. Jets:  I’m tired of the Josh Morrissey/Tucker Poolman pairing.  It’s time for Paul Maurice to come to his senses and move Dylan DeMelo back up with Josh.     

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  20-10-3 … 2.45 GAA … .921 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit:  5-3-0 … 2.63 GAA … .914 SV%

20. Jets:  FYI:  Corey Perry is a weasel.  Just ask Connor Hellebuyck who has had a couple of run-ins with him this season.  

*

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

If you have any questions, please give me a shout. You can use the comment section or use the #ASKWHTPOD hashtag on Twitter.

If you like our new format, let us know in the comment section or hit me on Twitter at WpgSportsTalk or WpgHockTalk

If you are interested in writing for Winnipeg Sports Talk or if you know somebody interested, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are looking for writers to cover the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, The Winnipeg ICE, Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg AAA, MJHL, MMJHL, KIJHL, and Winnipeg High School or any sports team in town.

If you have any thoughts on any of these comments or questions, please let me know. We would love to hear your opinions.

Thanks, Mitch

 

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Apr. 5

April 5, 2021 by

Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”

Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in hockey –

Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Ice, and all Team Canada Hockey teams.

I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula.  I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned. 

1. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets had a so-so week going 1-1-1.  After beating Calgary on Monday they concluded a pretty tough month of March with a record of 9-7-1.  The Jets went 0-1-1 vs Toronto this week but I thought they played pretty well in both games with the exception of the first period of their 3-1 loss on Wednesday.  They now have an overall record of 22-13-3.

2. Jets:  First and foremost.  Lets get on the bandwagon and help our neighbours in St. Adolphe with their quest to become Kraft Hockeyville. 

Voting starts this Friday at 8 am MB time. 

VOTE early and VOTE often at http://KraftHockeyville.ca

3. Jets:  I think Winnipeg fans that don’t watch a lot of other teams outside of the Jets don’t realize what they have in Pierre-Luc Dubois.  I love everything about his game but he is a very different player than Patrik Laine and he may end up being a better fit in the long run.  His game reminds me a lot of LA’s Anze Kopitar and I think most Winnipeg Jets fans could all live with that.   

4. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose only played one game this week, losing to a very good Laval team 3-1.  The Moose will get back to a more normal schedule now and play nine more games at home to finish off their monster 17-game homestand.  The Moose need to make some hay in these nine games after only winning two games in the first eight of this homestand. 

Noteworthy: David Gustafsson has 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points in 10 games with Manitoba Moose and should be a no-brainer to replace Nate Thompson next season.  I will be surprised if we don’t see him up with the big club at some point this season.    

5. Jets:  Poll Question:  Who is your biggest surprise on the Winnipeg Jets roster so far this season?

Who has been the biggest surprise this season? Good or Bad.

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6. Jets:  I know it’s just conversational fodder but Kevin Cheveldayoff is not going to leave Dylan DeMelo, Josh Morrissey, or Logan Stanley exposed for the Seattle expansion draft.  I would expect Chevy to make a deal with Seattle much like the one he did with the Vegas Golden Knights.  

 7. Jets:  I would be very happy if Mason Appleton turned into a player like Zach Hyman.   

8. NHL:  I wonder if Patrik Laine tries to play out his RFA contract with Columbus and get to free agency so he can sign in Florida with his buddy Aleksander Barkov?  

9. Jets:  Nathan Beaulieu had surgery this past week for a torn labrum and will be done for the season.  You never want to see a player lose his job to an injury BUT I’m not sure we see Nathan Beaulieu much next season unless the Jets have 3 or 4 injuries and if we do it will be time for a very HARD look at this team’s brain trust. 

10. Jets:  Is it possible that with the NHL’s flat salary cap for the foreseeable future that pending RFA, Andrew Copp could price himself out of Winnipeg much like Brandon Tanev and Ben Chiarot?  

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11. Jets:  Looking forward to next season I think most Jets fans would expect Ville Heinola and probably Dylan Samberg to be regulars in the Jets lineup and with the emergence of Logan Stanley I wonder if the Jets bring back Derek Forbort?  I think I would but that would be a lot of left shot defencemen.   

12. NHL:  Key dates.

  • Mar. 12 – Players on one-year deals can sign extensions (usually Jan. 1)
  • Apr. 12 – Trade Deadline
  • May 8 – End of the regular season
  • May 11 – Playoffs begin
  • July 15 – The latest the Stanley Cup can be awarded
  • July 17 – Expansion draft protection lists tentatively due
  • July 21 – Expansion draft
  • July 23-24 – 2021 NHL Entry Draft
  • July 28 – Free agency opens

13. Jets: Poll Question:   TRADE DEADLINE POLL 

Factoring in the cost of acquisition, player’s contract, contract status (term), the actual chance of acquiring said player, and his impact on the roster, who should the Winnipeg Jets pursue?

Who would be your top trade deadline acquisition for the Winnipeg Jets?

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14. Jets:  The NHL trade deadline is next Monday and I would be surprised if Chevy waited until the last minute to make his trade/trades UNLESS the prices are too high and he needs to wait until closer to the deadline to make his best deal.  I can see a couple small depth deals but not the big fish Jets fans are hoping for.

15. Jets:  Schedule

Update:  The May 7 game vs Ottawa has been re-scheduled to Monday, April 5.  This is due to the two postponed Vancouver games this week.

16. Jets:  Looking back at it in retrospect, the Winnipeg Jets did pretty well in the Jacob Trouba trade and it actually saved them quite a bit of money as well.  Next year Neal Pionk and Ville Heinola combined will still make way less than Trouba’s AAV of $8,000,000 per season.  Thumbs up to Chevy and our scouts.  

17. Jets:  Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).  I also base the movement (up or down) on the % and not the NHL ranking.

These are the Winnipeg Jets rankings within the seven team Canadian Division.  Since all games played during the regular season are divisional the rest of the league’s numbers don’t really matter.

  • PP: 2nd at 25.70% down from 26.70% last week.
  • PK: 1st at 80.20 up from 78.60% last week. 
  • FO: 5th at 48 .60 down from 48.60% last week.

18. Jets:  I have a love-hate relationship with Tucker Poolman and it changes from game to game.  Sometimes I like a lot of things he does and other times I wonder what the hell he is doing in the NHL.    

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  17-10-3 … 2.53 GAA … .920 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit:  5-3-0 … 2.63 GAA … .914 SV%

20. Jets:  The popular narrative going around in hockey circles is that this is the year to trade your first round pick because of the uncertainty of the rankings because most prospects haven’t played much or at all.  For me, this is the exact reason to keep your first rounder, you might get a steal later in that first round.  NHL teams have had rankings on these players since they were 16 years old so I’m not sure the issue is as big as some are making it out to be.

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