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 or is it the 8Ps? You’ve been warned.
You can listen to a more in-depth audio version here >>> Audio Version … Podcast is now live
Key dates:
April 17: Start of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs
May 8: NHL Draft Lottery (7 p.m. ET)
June 3: Tentative start of Stanley Cup Final
June 4-10: NHL Scouting Combine
June 26: 2023 NHL Awards
June 28: Round 1 of the 2023 NHL Draft (7 p.m. ET)
June 29: Rounds 2-7 of the 2023 NHL Draft (11 a.m. ET)
1. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets went 2-1-0 this past week and they are still sitting in the second wildcard spot, 4 points up on Calgary (even games) and 5 points up on Nashville who have 2 games in hand.
2. Jets: Watching Jansen Harkins play with the Moose, makes me wonder if he is due for a call-up. His AHL numbers are very good. In 34 games with the Manitoba Moose Harkins has 20 goals and 21 assists for 44 points and he is a +15.
3. Jets: Fans bitching about the win over the Coyotes pissed me off.
The Coyotes had an 8-game points streak coming into their game versus the Jets and the next night on a back-to-back took the Oilers to overtime and there is bitching about a 2-1 Jets victory? Shame on you … maybe people need to stop underrating our opponents
— Westdale (formerly Motown) Curmudgeon (@WpgSportsTalk) March 23, 2023
4. Jets: Kyle Connor finally got off the schneid in Anaheim and scored his first goal in 12 games and his first goal on the road in 16 games.
5. Jets: I’ve completely lost faith in Rick Bowness’s ability to assess his lineup and play the right players together and I’m pointing directly at the powerplay.
6. Jets: I said this last week and boom, Dylan Samberg was a healthy scratch. I don’t get it.
This is just a very basic observation. Dylan Samberg has more than proven himself and he should NEVER be taken out of the Jets lineup.
Some fans are speculating that this could be the reason that Dylan Samberg has been a healthy scratch lately. Now, this would make sense if Samberg was a bubble player BUT he’s not. This reeks of Chevy/Chipman interfering with Bones’ lineup.
Remaining NHL games played until losing waiver exemption status:
1 Game:
John Leonard NSH
Nick Perbix TBL
Jacob Peterson SJS2 Games:
Nils Höglander VAN
Mark Kastelic OTT3 Games:
Dylan Samberg WPG4 Games:
Cole Caufield MTL5 Games:
Nikolai Knyzhov SJS— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) March 23, 2023
7. Jets: The Jets had another game where they couldn’t score at 5v5. The LA Kings were just fine letting Kyle Connor, Mason Appleton, and Nik Ehlers figure skate around the perimeter all night. It’s the NHL, not the f’n Ice Capades.
8. ICE: The Winnipeg ICE finished the regular season with the best record in the WHL and will have a home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. The ICE finished their record-breaking season with a 57-10-1 record. The real shooting now starts on Friday night in a best-of-seven series versus the Medicine Hat Tigers.
9. Jets: If I’m Kevin Cheldayoff I’m doing whatever I can to sign Pierre-Luc Dubois to a long-term contract ASAP. Mark Scheifle has one more year on his contract and I don’t see him having a long-term future here anymore.
10. Random: This is a follow-up on my post from last week on Carson Brieres from the “privileged piece of shit” file.
Three misdemeanour charges were filed Monday against the son of Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Danny Briere after a video posted on social media showed him and another Mercyhurst University athlete pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a staircase.
Police in Erie, Pennsylvania, filed charges of criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy to commit mischief and disorderly conduct against Carson Briere, who completed his third hockey season at Mercyhurst. Patrick Carrozzi, listed as a senior member of the school’s lacrosse team, faces the same three charges.
11. NHL: Surprise surprise.
Chychrun is out for a few weeks with a lower body injury.
— TSN 1200 (@TSN1200) March 25, 2023
12. Jets: Some of the mainstream media ( Scott Billeck and Mike McIntyre) in Winnipeg have no problem ripping into Mark Scheifele but rarely say a word about how awful Kyle Connor and Neal Pionk have been. It makes me wonder what they have against Scheif. Scheifele has been stuck on 38 goals for a couple of weeks (leads the Jets in goals) but he hasn’t been very good since he and Kyle Connor received that benching a couple of weeks ago and it’s like these guys couldn’t wait to pounce on him. Scott Billeck and Mike McIntyre aren’t wrong in their criticism and assessment of Mark Scheifele’s play but it seems they have an axe to grind since the night he didn’t come out for their requested post-game media scrum.
13. Jets: Poll question
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14. Jets: My weekly question for Rick Bowness, Kevin Cheveldayoff, or Mark Chipman.
This question is for Mark Chipman: If the Jets miss the playoffs or go out with a whimper in the first round do you think Kevin Cheveldayoff has done enough to come back as the Jets GM next season? (FYI Chevy is under contract for two more years)
FYI: Kevin Cheveldayoff, has been the GM and Executive VP of the Jets since the team relocated to Winnipeg in 2011. During his tenure, the Jets qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs four times, including a Western Conference Final berth in 2017-18. Cheveldayoff was a finalist for the NHL General Manager of the Year Award in 2017-18.
15. Jets: According to Money Puck, as of this morning, the Winnipeg Jets have a 78.6% chance of making the playoffs. This number is very fluid and changes every day. I will update this every week until they clinch a spot (being positive). Last Monday the Jets were at 63.5%.
16. Jets: Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the two red numbers (PK and PP) total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).
- PP: 22nd at 19.60% down from 21st at 20.40%
- PK: 5th at 82.90% down from 2nd at 83.50%
- FO: 24th at 48.60% down from 23rd at 48.70%
You can listen to a more in-depth audio version here >>> Audio Version … Podcast is now live
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Kevin Cheveldayoff is not the problem.
The general manager is the problem.
But the only way this franchise is going to get a new general manager is if it sold and moved to another city.
Hey Robert thanks for visiting … are you saying Mark Chipman is pulling the strings?
Chipman may not be as bombastic as, say, George Steinbrenner, but he’s no less hands-on. And regardless of how bad things get, he will never change. The most he’ll ever do is shuffle a few cronies around. Sadly, you’re stuck with him to the bitter end.
I tend to disagree with Robert. Chipman may have a great influence on hockey operations, but Chevy is the general manager and his fingerprints are all over this franchise.
Hey Les … thanks for visiting … they are equally responsible IMHO.
I’ve never understood why Harkins doesn’t get a better opportunity when he’s with the Jets. I think he provides a better scoring touch than a typical 4th-liner. I remember thinking he should step into Appleton’s role when #22 was selected by the Kraken. What is Harkins lacking in the Jets’ eyes, Mitch? Is he not willing to kill penalties or something?
Hey Ryan … thanks for reading … I think Harkins had a slow start and got lost in the shuffle with all the new 4th line toys Rick Bowness had … there is no way a guy playing that well shouldn’t have been called up by now unless it’s waiver issue with the other players.