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
Join Harley and Mitch on YouTube for the Mar. 16 Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets
1. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets went 2-2-0 this past week and have earned points in eight of their games since the Olympic break. Their record is still at the bogus “Count Chocula” .500 at 28-28-10, five points out of the playoffs with 16 games remaining in the regular season and are still kicking at the cat. They are 5-2-0 on their 8-game homestand.
2. Jets: It figures that Gus Nyquist would start playing inspired hockey now! The old case of too little too late. Where was this all season?
3. Things that make me go hmmm: #1🤔 I started wondering about this tweet and why lately the Jets have looked a little more like last year’s team, and I believe it’s because the roster is much faster after adding Rosen, Lambert, Fleury, and Bryson. Now they are far from perfect, even though they are faster, but when their speed matches last year’s attention to detail more consistently, they will definitely win more hockey games. Consistency, adaptability, and understanding your role doesn’t take any special skill, just mental toughness. A lot of times, hockey is just a battle of wills.
Somebody call the R.C.M.P. The 2025-2026 Winnipeg Jets are missing and were replaced today with the President’s Trophy 2024-2025 Winnipeg Jets. Hellebuyck was Hart Trophy worthy today. Well done Jets.
— 🇨🇦Wpg Jets & NYI Fan in NY (@rider505) March 14, 2026
4. Jets: I’m quite hard on Dylan DeMelo, so I’m going to say something positive about his game. For a defenceman his size, he is very strong, he hits hard, and there is never any questioning about his compete level.
Alright, where is Mitch and what have you done to him?
5. Jets: Pet Peeve: The Jets forwards and sometimes their defencemen jump the gun and blow the zone before the puck is out, and they do it far too often for my liking.
6. Jets: It’s only been 4-5 games for new acquisition Jacob Bryson (UFA), but I have seen enough to say I have no interest in seeing the Jets offering him a contract. He is a nice skater who handles the puck pretty well but gets eaten alive without it. Being a SMURF, he gets absolutely swallowed up in front of the net and along the boards. We don’t need any more shrubs. I would rather see Isaak Phillips playing with the big club now if they’re auditioning defencemen for next year.
7. Manitoba Moose: The Manitoba Moose went 2-2-0-0 this past week and are holding steady at 28-21-5-1 after a 4-2 win in Calgary Sunday afternoon. Thomas Milic made a career-high 44 stops in the Moose net.
8. Jets: Question for Scott Arniel: Your team’s power play has dropped quite a bit statistically week after week, and I wonder why you haven’t changed the positioning or personnel to give it a different look?
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9. Things that make me go hmmm: #2 🤔 Morgan Barron, Cole Koepke, and Brad Lambert are definitely the Jets’ speediest line, and I wonder if it’s time to give them a little bump up in icetime and if not, the whole line, how about flip-flopping Barron and Adam Lowry?
10. Jets: From the “Put that in your pipe and smoke it” file.
I’m not sure if Tyrel Bauer is a potential NHL defenceman or not, but one thing I do know is that he is tough and will throw down with anybody. Can the Jets afford to carry a guy on their roster just because he can fight? The only way to find out is to play him. He would give this team some much-needed toughness, especially on the road in some tough barns like Minny, Dallas, and St. Louis. I know fighting is a hot button subject, but it is important whether you like it or not. All you have to do is ask the players in the dressing room, and to a man, they’d all say yes, and that’s coming from the guys that matter, not you or me, so put that in your pipe and smoke it.
11. 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: 23rd at 17.70% (net 23rd at 16.00%)
- PK: 16th at 79.00% (net 16th at 81.70%)
- FO: 13th at 50.80%
12. Jets: Goaltending:
- Connor Hellebuyck: 17-18-9 … 2.75 GAA … .901 SV%
- Eric Comrie: 11-9-1 … 2.96 GAA … .895 SV%
13. Jets: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.
- Good: Mark Scheifele continues to be the best skater on the ice most nights.
- Bad: The Jets’ defencemen backing in on their goalies happens far too often.
- Ugly: The Jets must give up the most goals in the league on tip-ins. Most of the time, they may have marked their man, but they don’t tie up their sticks.
14. Jets: Tidbits and FYIs:
- Isak Rosen scored his first goal as a Winnipeg Jet on Thursday vs the NYR.
- Josh Morrissey sets a new Jets 2.0 record for most games played by a defenceman (719 Enstrom),
- Dylan DeMelo played in his 700th NHL game on Thursday night.
- Mark Scheifele has reached 80 points for the second consecutive season.
- Hayden Fleury scored his 1st goal as a Winnipeg Jet on Sunday and his 1st since the 2022-23 season.
- Eric Comrie has won his last 5 starts.
- My man Thomas Milic had back-to-back shutouts for the Moose.
- 2028 World Cup was announced with 8 teams. The round-robin play will be in Prague & Calgary, and the Semifinals & Final will be in Edmonton.
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.
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