Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: June 14

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. JetsThe Winnipeg Jets season came to a crashing halt and it was very disappointing but that 7-8 day stretch in between the first and second round was a glorious time.  Over a week to revel and gloat in the satisfaction of sweeping the hated Edmonton Oilers and exorcising the demons from previous playoff failures.  Man, that felt good and to be honest it made my season.  

2. Jets:  After a week to decompress and evaluate the Winnipeg Jets roller coaster season one thing remains clear, I have no idea where this team is heading.  The only conclusion I have come to is Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, and Nik Ehlers are the only untouchables on this team.  They rest of the team is up for debate. 

3. Jets:  Is it possible that Jets fans, media, players, coaches, management, and ownership have really overrated what we have with this team?  Where was the perceived depth?  We were missing ONE forward and folded like a cheap suit.  Where was “Mr. I think I’m a top six forward”,  Andrew Copp?  Where was Mason Appleton?  Where was Kyle Connor?  Where was Pierre-Luc Dubois?  You see where I’m going with this?  Our skill seemed to disappear and didn’t seem to be ready to compete versus Montreal.  Our regular season skill did not transfer to the playoffs and that is concerning.    

4. Jets: How do I say this without coming across as a complete a-hole?  I love Mark Chipman but is he qualified enough to make the Winnipeg Jets’ major hockey decisions.  Who advises him?  

5. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets have a lot of good pieces but the game seems to be evolving again and going back to heavier games in the playoffs with a lot more clutching, grabbing, and interference.  Maybe this teams current make-up might need to be tweaked.  Shea Weber, Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot, and Joel Edmundson dominated the Jets forwards.  All big and strong with decent mobility.  Montreal’s bigger forwards and even their smaller, grittier forwards over-matched the Jets defenders in the blue paint.  We were out-muscled and out-worked at both ends of the ice. 

6. Jets:  Watching some of the other playoff series around the NHL just showed me how the other divisions were playing chess while the Scotia Bank Canadian Division was playing checkers.  

7. Jets:  Paul Maurice has one more year left on his contract at $3,000,000 and a club option for an additional year.  In a season with no fans in the stands and not much of a revenue stream did anybody think TNSE was going to actually fire Paul Maurice and pay him $3,000,000 to be a TSN panelist again?   

8. Jets:  Is Connor Hellebuyck delusional or just extremely confident?

  “We’re very close to being able to make runs and being a dynasty”

9. Jets:  I watched Paul Maurice’s season ending presser twice and I think there are going to be a lot of pissed off Jets fans next fall.  Reading in between the lines it doesn’t sound like the influx of youth we expected is going to happen.  

10. Jets:  Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” is arguably the Winnipeg Jets best skater so why doesn’t he get more ice time? 

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11. Jets:  We got another glimpse of what it would look like with Andrew Copp as a second line center or top-six forward and I hope we can finally put that narrative to bed.  I love Copp on our third line but he would never be in a contending team’s top-six or powerplay unit.  He is a terrific third-line winger and penalty killer. (see #3)

Andrew Copp is where offence goes to die.

Andrew Copp is NOT a top-six forward.   

12. NHL:  Key dates.

  • June 2 – NHL Draft Lottery (Buffalo won)
  • 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:  Are Paul Maurice’s or Kevin Cheveldayoff’s jobs in jeopardy?

UPDATE:

After sweeping the Edmonton Oilers I thought the brain trust probably earned some good will and saved their jobs for another season BUT this brutal showing versus Montreal has put BOTH CHEVY and POMO right back on the hot seat.  It is going to be an interesting off-season.  Because of a short off-season Chevy will be spared but it might be time to clean house but that’s just me.  Please vote on our poll question.

After being swept in the second round by Montreal should heads roll?

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14. Jets:  I find it absolutely amazing to the point of being comical that everybody has an opinion on the Mark Scheifele hit and subsequent suspension but it seems that Mark Scheifele’s opinion doesn’t seem to count. 

15. 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. 

FYI:  If the Jets don’t cut this deal with Vegas they might have taken Nick Suzuki instead of trading down and getting Kristian Vesalainen.  It’s too early to call this deal but the early returns certainly favour Suzuki. 

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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16. KHL:  Former Winnipeg Jets farmhand Eddie Pasquale was named the KHL’s Goalie of the Year for the 2020-21 season.  The former St. John’s IceCaps goaltender put up some pretty good numbers this past season with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv.  He was 25-11-3 with a GAA of 1.91 and a SV% OF .925. 

17. Jets:  I’m not sure there is another organisation in the NHL that have a longer tenured GM and a longer tenured coach still working for them with less overall success that the Jets tandem.  Teflon Chevy has been here right from the start with very little to show for it.  The rule of thumb is a GM gets two coach firings before the spotlight shifts on to him.  Is that why he is still clinging to Paul Maurice?    

18. Jets:  I love Dylan DeMelo and I think he is a very underrated/important part of the Jets blue line but if not having him in the lineup causes the kind of collapse we’ve witnessed versus Montreal this team has bigger problems than we imagined.  

19. Jets:  Do the Winnipeg Jets need a new set of eyes in the organisation?  A President of Hockey Operations?  I’ve been saying for quite some time that this organisation needs a buffer between ownership and management.  (see #4)

20. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets are a month away from having to submit their protection list for the Seattle expansion draft.  I would love to know what they are planning.  I would just prefer to lose a player instead of cutting a deal to protect a player on the current roster.  (see #15) 

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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Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Apr. 5

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. JetsI 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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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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Connor Hellebuyck Is One HELLEva Goaltender And A Vezina Trophy Winner

Connor Hellebuyck named Vezina Trophy winner –

After being a Vezina Trophy runner-up in 2017-18 there was no denying Connor Hellebuyck this season as he was named the 2019-20 Vezina Trophy winner on Monday.  The Vezina Trophy is awarded to the NHL goaltender judged to be the best at his position and Helle is a very deserving winner.

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Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Aug. 3

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

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

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Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: June 15

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

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

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