Things about the Winnipeg Jets and the NHL that crossed my mind —
Some random facts and a few thoughts from this past week about the Winnipeg Jets, the Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League.
Congratulations to the six Manitoban’s drafted this past weekend. They are Brett Howden, Wade Allison, Adam Brooks, Tanner Kaspick, Jordy Stallard, and Dean Stewart.
Patrik Laine
1. With the 2nd overall selection in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, the Winnipeg Jets are proud to select …. from Finland …. Patrik Laine!
2. Outside of the Patrik Laine selection, I found the rest of weekend as it pertained to the Winnipeg Jets very ho-hum and anti-climactic.
3. Last weeks poll question was “Which protected list option would Winnipeg Jets fan select?” and 70% voted for protecting 7 forwards, 3 defencemen, and 1 goalie. I found this quite interesting since Enstrom and Byfuglien are automatic protections because of their no movement clauses, leaving Trouba as the last selection thus exposing Myers. I would rather protect a top four defenceman like Tyler Myers and risk losing a 3rd/4th forward like Marko Dano, Alex Burmistrov, Joel Armia, Adam Lowry, etc, etc.
4. It was amazing how a couple of Bob McKenzie tweets turned Winnipeg upside down and into full panic mode just two days before the draft.
I’m reasonably confident TOR will take Auston Matthews at No. 1. I’m not nearly as confident WPG will automatically take Patrik Laine at 2.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 23, 2016
This was probably the longest two days for Patrik Laine fans in Winnipeg.
I am not saying WPG won’t take Laine but I am saying, IMO, Jesse Puljujarvi may be a legit consideration at No. 2 for the Jets.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 23, 2016
Then this final tweet sent Jets fans in full-blown meltdown mode.
Jets, as is their style, haven’t tipped hand but several teams told me to not rule out notion of Puljujarvi going 2nd overall to WPG.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 23, 2016
5. The Winnipeg Jets don’t have a lot of goal scoring and I find it quite interesting how easily some Jets fans are willing to discard a 20-goal-scorer like Drew Stafford.
6. It is official now. The NHL is expanding to Las Vegas and will begin playing in the 2017-18 season.
7. I didn’t delve into the 2016 NHL Entry Draft as much as I would have liked to this year so I don’t really have an informed opinion on the Jets 18th overall selection Logan Stanley. I only saw him play a handful of times but it looks like this was an “organisational need” pick or a “project” pick. There were some pretty good players still available so it looks like the Jets took a bit of a flyer (pardon the pun) in trading down with Philadelphia to acquire this pick. I guess we will see how this shakes down in a couple of years.
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8. I know this is no conciliation to Nordiques fans but the BOGs didn’t reject Quebec City’s expansion application but deferred it to a later date. The two main reasons cited by Gary Bettman were the ‘volatility’ of the Canadian dollar, and the ‘geographic imbalance’ it would create within the two conferences. I can’t say I disagree with their decision.
9. Jets fans were pretty evenly split when I asked them if they thought Kevin Cheveldayoff was going to trade the Jets second first round draft pick (#22) for a veteran left-handed defenceman. Fifty-two percent (52%) thought that he would.
10. I can’t help but wonder if the Winnipeg Jets could have made better use of the 22nd overall pick and the 36th overall pick? What the hell, thanks to the NHL Draft Lottery, WE GOT LAINE! Whoooo-hoooo!
11. Is there any other team in the NHL that has as many right-handed defencemen on their roster and in their prospect pool? Without even looking, I am going to say it’s probably not even close.
12. A lot of smaller players get drafted later than they probably should and conversely a lot of bigger players get drafted higher than they probably should and maybe the Jets selection of Logan Stanley (6’7″) falls into this category. BUT remember, in most cases, teams aren’t drafting the player they see today but drafting what the hope they will become with a little development. Dare I say the word … process? (see #7)
13. Was it just me or was the NHL Awards Show extremely lame?
14. I thought it was a foregone conclusion that most Winnipeg Jets fans wanted Patrik Laine so I posted the poll question and asked “Who do you the think the Jets actually draft?” and 84% of you thought it would be Patrik Laine. Congratulations, we got our man!
15. I have to admit my jaw dropped a bit when Columbus’ Finnish GM Jarmo Kekalainen passed on Finnish star Jesse Puljujarvi and selected Pierre- Luc Dubois with the third overall pick on Friday night. Who saw that coming?
16. Is anybody else surprised that Alexander Radulov couldn’t find one team in the NHL to sign with? I know he comes with a lot of baggage but he’s only 29-years-old and still a pretty skilled forward so his asking price must have been way out of wack.
17. I spent 15 years as an area scout for a couple WHL teams and the one thing I learned was the only draft list that mattered was the one that your team (staff) had created. There is no such thing as “off the board” because every team is working off of a different board. You would be surprised how different the 30 NHL teams draft lists vary after the first ten picks AND especially from the “made for TV” lists provided by Bob McKenzie, Craig Button, ISS, NHL Central Scouting, and on and on and on. I don’t understand why fans feel the need to go on Twitter or talk radio screaming from the rooftops that this was a bad pick and this was a great pick etc, etc. Scouting, even at the highest level, is not an exact science and drafting eighteen-year-old hockey players is a crapshoot at the best of times. It’s ok to question a selection but does anybody really know for sure?
18. Countdown to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey: 83 days (Sept. 17) in Toronto, Ont. The final rosters of 20 skaters and 3 goalies are posted here >>> Rosters
19. Countdown to the 2016 Tim Hortons Heritage Classic: 119 days (Oct. 23) in Winnipeg, MB.
20. Check out the short 36 minute WHT Podcast we did on the Winnipeg Jets draft this weekend >>>> here
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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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Mitch
Really enjoy reading your weekly comments and I think that #17 this week is spot on. Also the last half of #12.
Thanks John …. because Chevy and PoMo have used the word “process” so much the last few years it’s kind of become a Winnipeg buzzword and good for a laugh or two …. we like to use it in our podcasts and articles as a sarcastic reminder that it actually is a process LOL …. it’s all fun
I’ve noticed there have been several comments from the media that speculated that Andrew Ladd is still a possibility to return to the Jets as a free agent…
What do you think about that scenario? Good? Bad? Indifferent? at What cost? What term? I’d be interested in hearing your comments about this.
I think Ladd should be fully recovered from his surgery and a healthy Ladd is still a solid asset. Now in saying that I would offer him 4 years at approx 4.5 mil per season give or take 10%.