Mitch Kasprick is now the “Westdale Curmudgeon”
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: First off, kudos to TNSE and Mark Chipman on the whole Dale Hawerchuk ceremony and statue unveiling. It was first-class and very well done.
2. Jets: Some Jets fans love to criticize Logan Stanley’s skating and agility but if you watch Jonathon Kovacevic, he isn’t exactly Kurt Browning on the ice.
3. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets have now played 4 pre-season games and I must say I’ve been impressed with a couple of under-the-radar free agent signings by Chevy this summer. Saku Maenalanen (29)and Kevin Stenlund (26) are a couple of 6’4 wingers with NHL experience that use their size well. I like Maenalanen very much and I would take him over Dominic Toretto in a heartbeat. OKAY, OKAY it’s Toninato. It’s quite obvious who my whipping boy is this season. He’s not fast and he’s not furious and he bugs me because he does nothing to move the needle on this team and I hope Maenalanen bumps him down to the Moose where he belongs
4. Jets: For me, Mason Appleton is like that comfy t-shirt you wear, I like the way he plays and I like him and Adam Lowry together.
5. Jets: Are the Jets a better team with or without Blake Wheeler?
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6. Jets: I have been a supporter of Jansen Harkins for quite some time but my patience with him is wearing thin. It is time to shit or get off the pot and do something. I see a lot of competition for that 3rd-line LW position. TICK-TOCK.
7. Jets: The Jets have an interesting decision to make with Brad Lambert. I don’t know if Chevy has made a commitment to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds to park him there for a year or if they are thinking about sending him to the Manitoba Moose. The upside of sending him to the Moose is if he is playing well in the AHL they can call him up whenever they want. I’ve changed my mind and now leaning towards the AHL.
Mitch Kasprick Sept. 26
There now seems to be a question of whether 2022 1st round, 30th overall forward Brad Lambert is better off being with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose or the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. For me, it’s a no-brainer. It is his first year playing in North America and he’s better off getting lots of icetime and PP time in junior. I don’t see what the rush is.
8. Jets: My weekly question for Kevin Cheveldayoff, Mark Chipman, or Rick Bowness.
Are players going to make this team based on merit or the fact that they aren’t waiver-exempt?
9. Jets: You can say whatever you want about Mark Chipman and TNSE but they have done one helluva job preserving and honouring the hockey history in Winnipeg with the WHA and NHL 1.0 Winnipeg Jets. Remember that Winnipeg Jets 2.0’s history started in Atlanta but the only lineage they acknowledge there are their team records.
10. Jets: I can hardly wait to see what Brad Lambert looks like in two years with another 10-15 lbs added and with 2 years of hockey in North America (WHL or AHL) under his belt. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself but Lambert could be the steal of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Thank you, Andrew Copp. Thank you, New York Rangers.
11. Jets: What do you think of Chevy’s work this offseason?
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12. Jets: Important Dates:
October 5: Home preseason game #3 vs Calgary
October 14: Regular season home opener vs NYR.
13. Jets: Although Eric Comrie proved me wrong and exceeded mine and most fans’ expectations I feel more confident in David Rittich as Helle’s backup this season. I know this doesn’t make much sense so it must be the fact that he is an NHL veteran. For some reason, I never really embraced Comrie.
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15. Jets: Cole Perfetti is looking more and more comfortable playing on the wing with PLD and Blake Wheeler and I think if he plays the whole season on that line and gets some PP time whether it is 1st or 2nd unit he should be capable of 50-55 points.
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1. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets lost their preseason opener 4-0 in Edmonton last night and it was your typical ugly first game of the preseason with a bunch of wannabees who have no hope in hell of playing in the NHL. The sad part about that game wasn’t the score but that fans had to pay money to watch it. FUGLY. 
1. Jets: The big news of the week in Jetsville is that the Winnipeg Jets have decided to go without a captain this season. This came as no surprise to a lot of Jets fans but it did catch Blake Wheeler off guard. Based on what he said during his presser he was informed just a couple of days prior to the Friday presser and he admitted he had no idea this was coming. He was very gracious in saying he was honoured to be a captain in the NHL and especially in a Canadian city. It looks like the Jets will be going with rotating Alternate Captains for this season.
1. Jets: We’re in the second week of Sept and I’m surprised how quiet it is around the Winnipeg Jets. I think we all sense something will eventually happen, but I guess Chevy is waiting for NHL camps to open and get a feel for other teams’ needs. For me, this is a little risky and it seems like he is playing chicken with the other GMs BUT conversely, it could also lead to a better deal the longer he waits.
It is with a very heavy heart that I write this but I would like to send out my condolences to the family and friends of Scott Campbell. Scott was a Winnipeg Jets 1.0 fan favourite and Twitter legend. Scott always took time to chat with his many followers and really made their days. It’s not often an NHL player interacts with a fan base like Scott did. Scott was a Winnipeg Jet until the day he passed away and he loved the Jets and their fans. I got to know Scott on a personal basis and he was a very modest, fun guy. Scott spent some time writing here at WHT and had quite a following. It seems the good ones leave us too soon and Scott was definitely one of the good ones, he will be missed. I will always be proud to say you were my friend. RIP big guy. 
1. Jets: Well it’s September so it’s back to work. If Chevy can take August off why can’t I? If it’s good enough for Chevy it’s good enough for me. 
