Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: July 26

July 26, 2021 by
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. 

UPDATE:

Jets have tendered qualifying offers to the following pending RFAs:

F – Andrew Copp
D – Johnathan Kovacevic
D – Neal Pionk
D – Logan Stanley

1. Jets:  So the Seattle Kraken expansion draft has come and gone and after all the pissing and moaning we lost Mason Appleton just like everybody hoped and wanted AND Chevy didn’t have to waste any assets cutting a side deal.  

POLL RESULTS:

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?

(53%, 117 Votes)

No. The Jets have plenty of depth and can afford to lose one player.

(24%, 53 Votes)
No. Use that asset in the off-season in a trade to upgrade the team.

(9%, 20 Votes)
Yes. Because the Jets are loyal to a fault.

(7%, 16 Votes)
No. The idea of an expansion draft is to stock the new team, not circumvent the process.

(6%, 14 Votes)
Yes. I don’t want to lose anyone of this team.

2. NHL:  It looks like NHL GMs did actually learn from their Vegas expansion mistakes this time around.  Vegas would have had a decent team but it was their “side deals” that really set them up for future success. 

3. Jets:  I wonder if Chevy will offer Andrew Copp to Seattle for Vince Dunn?     

4. NHL:  It’s that time of the year where you could possibly see an NHL team look at sending an offer sheet to a pending RFA.  I won’t hold my breath because there are actually more Loch Ness Monster sightings than there are NHL offer sheets but if there is the compensation is listed below.

FYI – Offer Sheet (AAV) Compensation:

  • $1,395,053 or below: None
  • Over $1,395,053 to $2,113,716: 3rd round pick
  • Over $2,113,716 to $4,227,437: 2nd round pick
  • Over $4,227,437 to $6,341,152: 1st, 3rd round picks
  • Over $6,341,152 to $8,454,871: 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks
  • Over $8,454,871 to $10,568,589: (2) 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks
  • Over $10,568,589: (4) 1st round picks

5. Jets:  Did Kevin Cheveldayoff actually get lucky not losing Dylan DeMelo or did he know which way Ron Francis was leaning based on their conversations?  Guess what, we’ll never know but it worked.       

6. NHL:  Huge news that affects Cole Perfetti and the Winnipeg Jets/Manitoba Moose.   

7. Jets:  Would the Jets be smart to move on from Paul Stastny and gamble on Cole Perfetti in their top six?  


8. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets most pressing off-season need is to ugrade their blueline and with the free agency silly season starting this Wednesday I always hold on to the hope that Chevy will make a bit of a splash and sign a couple signifigant UFAs and not the usual 4th line forwards and the less than bottom pairing defencemen.  I’m not expecting a Dougie Hamilton but it would be nice to add someone like Nikita Zadorov (LD) who is an RFA that only made $3,200,000 last season.  I wonder if he is on Chevy’s radar?  Other UFAs that interest me are Brandon Montour (RD), David Savard (RD), Jake McCabe (LD), or even local boy Travis Hamonic (RD).

UPDATE:

The Winnipeg Jets have traded a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft for defenceman Brenden Dillon from the Washington Capitals. 

UFA season starts on Wednesday. Will Chevy ...

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UPDATE:

Jets Acquire defenceman Nate Schmidt from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. 

9. NHL:  The Montreal Canadiens were the toast of the town after a terrific playoff run and they pissed away all that good will in one fell swoop with their brain dead selection of Logan Mailloux on Friday night.  What the hell was Marc Bergevin thinking?   

10. Jets:  2021-22 Schedule

 

11. Jets:  Ex-Jet Shane Doan had a proud moment on Saturday when his son Josh was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the second round, 37th overall.  As a Yotes fan I really love this pick.     

12. NHL:  Key dates.  Times a MB time.

  • July 27:  Qualifying offers due to restricted free agents.
  • July 28:  Free agency opens at 11 am.

13. Jets:  Are Paul Maurice’s or Kevin Cheveldayoff’s jobs in jeopardy?

After the first round sweep of Edmonton it looked like Pomo and Chevy were safe.

After being swept in the second by Montreal, Pomo and Chevy are back under the microscope. 

Now Chevy and Pomo are both under scrutiny for the Seattle expansion protection list. 

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

View Results

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14. NHL:  Anti-vaxer injury report.  UBI (upper body injury) Brain   

15. Jets:  I’m okay with Chevy bringing back Mathieu Perreault for another season but that is it and that includes Paul Stastny unless he takes a major pay cut.  For what it’s worth there are rumours that Paul Stastny and the Winnipeg Jets are talking about a contract extension.   

UPDATE:

The Winnipeg Jets and Paul Stastny have agreed to a one-year deal worth $3.750,000

I can’t say I hate this deal because I actually love it.  Stastny adds a lot to this team on the ice and just as much off the ice.  A very solid signing with perfect term.  

16. NHL:  I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, the teams that play in states without state taxes have an unfair advantage over the other US based teams and all the Canadian based teams.  With free agency opening on Wednesday myself and fans of other Canadian teams get frustrated by Canadian players not wanting to play in their home country.  The NHL and the NHLPA need to come up with some sort of formula to level the playing field.  While I’m at it lets do away with no movement clauses.  

17. Jets:  The Jets made some interesting selections from Russia and it is quite obvious they weren’t really comfortable drafting players that didn’t play last season, hence the three picks out of the Russian leagues.        

18. NHL:  I love Seattle fans already, in their first introduction to Gary “Count Chocula” Bettman they booed him like a seasoned fan base.  Well done Kraken fans, well done.  

19: Jets:  Fingers crossed for tomorrow everyone.  C’mon Chevy.

20: Jets:  This is something that I never thought would come out of my mouth but going in Wednesday’s “Free Agent Frenzy” the “Summer of Chevy” is off to a pretty good start.  (see #8 and #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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Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: July 19

July 19, 2021 by
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 have released their protected list for the Seattle Kraken expansion draft on Wednesday night.  Discuss amongst yourselves. 

Forwards:

  • Blake Wheeler
  • Mark Scheifele
  • Kyle Connor
  • Nikolaj Ehlers
  • Pierre-Luc Dubois
  • Andrew Copp
  • Adam Lowry

Defencemen:

  • Josh Morrissey
  • Neal Pionk
  • Logan Stanley

Goalie:

  • Connor Hellebuyck

POLL QUESTION:

WHO WILL THE SEATTLE KRAKEN SELECT FROM THE WINNIPEG JETS?

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2. Jets:  Until Seattle actually drafts on Wednesday we will not know who we will lose and what type of side deal (if any) was in place, so why are people freaking out?    

Poll Question:  Should or did Kevin Cheveldayoff 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?

View Results

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3. Jets:  After looking at the other protection lists I’m betting that Seattle selects Mason Appleton from the Jets.     

4. NHL:  FYI – Offer Sheet (AAV) Compensation:

  • $1,395,053 or below: None
  • Over $1,395,053 to $2,113,716: 3rd round pick
  • Over $2,113,716 to $4,227,437: 2nd round pick
  • Over $4,227,437 to $6,341,152: 1st, 3rd round picks
  • Over $6,341,152 to $8,454,871: 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks
  • Over $8,454,871 to $10,568,589: (2) 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks
  • Over $10,568,589: (4) 1st round picks

5. Jets:  Gary Suter was bought out by the Minnesota Wild and if I’m Chevy I’m all over him.  At 36-years-old he still has lots of hockey left in him.  He is a much better option than Derek Forbort or Tucker Poolman in my opinion.  It has been reported that he doesn’t want to play in Canada but maybe the Minnesota Mafia on the Jets roster can convince him.     

6. NHL:  Reports are that pending UFA Phillip Danault is looking for north of 5 mil a year for six years.  Any GM that gives Phillip Danault $5,000,000 for six years should be INSTANTLY fired.  Now in saying that most GMs would have to run a deal like that somewhere up the food chain and the person approving that deal should be fired too and if that somebody is the owner he shouldn’t be involved in hockey decisions. 

7. Jets:  Jets fans obsessing about losing a player in the expansion draft is like watching a bad reality show.  We’re not losing KC or Scheif or Nik or PLD or Helle so relax for crying out loud.  Take a deep breath.

8. Jets:  I was wondering about this at the time.  

9. NHL:  In case you were wondering.  This is what the Seattle Kraken’s minimum requirements are for Wednesday night’s expansion draft.

  • The Kraken must select at least 20 players under contract for next season.
  • The contracts for these 20 players must be at least $48,900,000.

10. Jets:  Although I like Dylan DeMelo, Mason Appleton, and Logan Stanley I lived through losing Anders Hedberg, and Ulf Nilsson, then Rich Preston, Terry Ruskowsi, Paul MacKinnon, Kent Nilsson etc, and then a whole NHL team moving to Phoenix  so I’m not going to lose ONE MOMENT of sleep losing one of these guys to Seattle

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11. Jets:  I hope the Winnipeg Jets don’t turn good prospects like Ville Heinola, Dylan Samberg, or David Gustafsson into diminishing assets like they did with Sami Niku and Jack Roslovic.  Prospect currency is valuable so you need to make decisions on them while they still have value.  Chevy has waited to long with Sami Niku and he sold low with Jack Roslovic.  Based on Paul Maurice’s season ending presser it looks like there is no way Ville Heinola, Logan Stanley, or Dylan Samberg will all be in the NHL together any time soon.  I hope we don’t end up giving one or two of them away for squat. 

12. NHL:  Key dates.  Times a MB time.

  • July 17:  NHL teams must submit expansion lists to NHL by 4 pm. 
  • July 17:  Trade freeze begins at 2 PM.
  • July 18:  NHL will deliver expansion lists by 9 am, likely made public around that time.
  • July 18:  Seattle can begin “interviewing” impending UFA/RFA’s from teams at this time.
  • July 21:  Seattle must submit it draft selections to the NHL by 9 am.
  • July 21:  2021 NHL Expansion Draft at 7 pm. 
  • July 22:  Trade freeze is lifted at noon.
  • July 23:  Round 1 of the 2021 NHL Draft at 7 pm. 
  • July 24:  Rounds 2-7 of the 2021 NHL Draft at 10 pm.
  • July 27:  Qualifying offers due to restricted free agents.
  • July 28:  Free agency opens at 11 am.

13. Jets:  Are Paul Maurice’s or Kevin Cheveldayoff’s jobs in jeopardy?

After the first round sweep of Edmonton it looked like Pomo and Chevy were safe.

After being swept in the second by Montreal, Pomo and Chevy are back under the microscope. 

Now Chevy and Pomo are both under scrutiny for the Seattle expansion protection list. 

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

View Results

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14. NHL:  Ex Winnipeg Jets star, Patrik Laine was at it again in a Finnish newspaper last week >>> HERE.

I love Patrik but it looks like he has failed to grasp the concept that when he blabs to the Finnish media it actually finds it way back here in North America.  He was blaming Torts for his poor season but maybe he should look in the mirror and stop blaming everybody else for his play.  He had a run-in with one of his junior coaches, he complained about his usage in Winnipeg and kind of threw a fine hockey player like Bryan Little under the bus, he had an incident with assistant coach Brad Larsen (now the head coach) on the bench last season, and finally had his say about John Tortorella in a Finnish newspaper last week.  I’m still a huge fan of Patrik Laine but I think it is time for him to SHUT HIS MOUTH and GROW UP.  

15. Jets:  Listening to outsiders that talk about the Winnipeg Jets just shows me how little they watch us play.  The takes on our roster are hilarious.  They overrate some of our players while underrating others even more than we do.  One fairly well know outsider that I would consider an “A list” mainstream media member actually said Kyle Conner was a defensively responsible winger.  I’ll just leave it at that.

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: July 12

July 12, 2021 by
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:  After more post-season reflecting, I recall there was a lot of talk about how Montreal’s bigger defencemen outmuscled and out-worked the Winnipeg Jets forwards in the North Division Final and how maybe the Jets should look at their defence getting bigger.  I must confess that I occasionally fall into this narrative as well BUT maybe it was a case of Montreal’s forwards playing bigger and scrappier than our forwards. 

The skilled Jets forwards like to score off the rush and tend to play a perimeter game but they don’t really excel in the trenches.  I wouldn’t mind more Brendan Gallagher or Brady/Matthew Tkachuk types in our forward group.    

2. Jets:  The Seattle Kraken expansion draft protection lists are tentatively due in less than a week and Chevy is now under the microscope.  What will he and the Winnipeg Jets do?

Poll Question:  Should Kevin Cheveldayoff 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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3. Jets:  I was looking at some of the potential defencemen that could be available for Seattle in the expansion draft and it looks like an expansion team is going to end up with better defencemen than the Winnipeg Jets.  How frustrating.   

4. Jets:  Maybe the Jets will get lucky and some team will send Andrew Copp an offer sheet.  Based on his perceived market price he could net the Jets a 1st and a 3rd round pick?  I would rather have the picks than overpay a 3rd liner.

Offer Sheet (AAV) Compensation:

  • $1,395,053 or below: None
  • Over $1,395,053 to $2,113,716: 3rd round pick
  • Over $2,113,716 to $4,227,437: 2nd round pick
  • Over $4,227,437 to $6,341,152: 1st, 3rd round picks
  • Over $6,341,152 to $8,454,871: 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks
  • Over $8,454,871 to $10,568,589: (2) 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks
  • Over $10,568,589: (4) 1st round picks

5. Jets:  I find it amusing that Colorado Avalanche fans and some of their media were complaining that their blueline was to small and are vulnerable to teams with a heavy forecheck.  I’m pretty sure most Jets fans would trade our defencemen for theirs in a heartbeat.  I know I would.  Hell, I’d trade our whole d-corp for Cale Makar.    

6. NHL:  I don’t have any ill will towards the Tampa Bay Lightning but I understand why some hockey fans hate them.   

7. Jets:  Although I like both Mason Appleton and Logan Stanley I’m not going to lose any sleep if one of them gets selected by Seattle on July 21.    

8. Jets:  I know I’m hard on Kyle Connor BUT I do realize his importance to the Winnipeg Jets.  He has an excellent offensive skill-set.  I still have hope he can improve his compete level and improve his defensive game BUT I am opposed to trading him for defensive help.  Scoring is hard to replace.  I would prefer it if Keven Cheveldayoff improved our back-end through free agency even if it means overspending.  Like I always say, “it’s adding a free player to your roster and all it costs you is money”.

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9. NHL:  The part of Tampa being over the cap that everybody overlooks is with Nikita Kucherov being on LTIR they were able to trade for guys and take on salary that they would have not normally be able to do without having to worry about being over the cap in the playoffs.  Even though they didn’t technically violate and cap rules in the CBA, I’m sure they violated the spirit of the rules.  (see#6)       

10. NHL:  If you want honesty from a player in a ZOOM call just make sure they’ve had 5 or 6 beers like Nikita Kucherov did this past Wednesday.  Instant classic.  Montreal fans are counting the days until they play Tampa at home to let him have it.

11. Jets:  I think the Jets will protect Dylan DeMelo in the upcoming expansion draft, he works well with Josh Morrissey and they are a solid pairing.  The problem is they would be our top pairing but they are not a #1 unit.  Josh can be a #2 guy with the right partner like Jacob Trouba but with DeMelo they would be a very solid 2nd pairing on a contending team.  Chevy needs to upgrade our top pairing.    

12. NHL:  Key dates.

  • 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?

After the first round sweep of Edmonton it looked like Pomo and Chevy were safe.

After being swept in the second by Montreal, Pomo and Chevy are back under the microscope.   

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

View Results

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14. NHL:  Corey Perry has just played in back-to-back SC finals and although he didn’t win in either final he was a solid contributor to Dallas’s and Montreal’s run to the finals.  Say what you want about Perry but for a fourth-line guy on a bargain basement contract he was money well spent.  I’d rather have him than Trevor Lewis or Nate Thompson and I’d rather have him on the 2nd PP unit instead of Mason Appleton or Andrew Copp.    

15. CFL:  Great to see Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ training camp open.

GO BOMBERS GO    

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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Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: July 5

July 5, 2021 by

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:  After more off-season reflection on the Winnipeg Jets I think our fanbase and some of our media may have overrated the depth and makeup of the team’s roster.  It has been said many times in different places that if and when the Jets become legitimate SC contenders that Adam Lowry would be our 4th line center.  If we were being honest, the truth of the matter is this team had TWO 4th lines and that’s why we lost to Montreal.  I really like Adam Lowry’s line but I would consider them more of a shutdown line that chips in the odd goal here and there.  You can blame our blueline all you want but the Jets lost ONE skilled player (Mark Scheifele) and the Jets offence disappeared or shrunk like a frightened turtle  ………. cue George Costanza’s #SHRINKAGE

2. Jets:  The Seattle Kraken expansion draft protection lists are tentatively due in less than 2 weeks and Chevy is now under the microscope.  What will he and the Winnipeg Jets do?

Poll Question:  Should Kevin Cheveldayoff 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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3. Jets:  Please Chevy, don’t overpay Andrew Copp.  Even though Copp had a good season and he is a fan fave, he is still a bottom six winger in my opinion and overpaying 3rd and 4th liner players is a recipe for disaster. 

4. NHL:  I’m a cynical person by nature so I couldn’t help but think the Jonathon Toews announcement about him having Covid-19 came at a time when the microscope is clearly on the Blackhawk organisation for all the wrong reasons.  Was Toews doing the organisation a favour by deflecting attention from the stories of sexual abuse within the Hawks organisation in 2010?  The timing sure seems fishy.        

5. Jets:  I wonder if the Jets will start their transition over to Mikhail Berdin next season or wait one more year for him?  He is only 23-years-old so there is no rush.  

6. NHL:  Habs fans dumping on Carey Price is laughable.  How do they think they got to the SC Final?  Talk about short memories.    

7. Jets:  I would like to see the Jets move Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers to the top line right from the get-go this upcoming season.  It is time for the team’s best winger to play with the teams best center.    

8. Jets:  Anybody else concerned about the size on the Jets back-end for next season?  I would be shocked if Ville Heinola isn’t a regular in the line-up but that only makes the size back there even smaller.  Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, and Neal Pionk are all listed at 6 feet but if you believe that you probably believe in the tooth fairy.  

9. NHL:  I bet this SC Final will have lowest tv ratings in decades and it isn’t because of the Montreal Canadiens.  I think a lot of hockey fans were turned off by Tampa’s salary cap manipulation.  I watched some of the SC Final but I also watched just as much basketball and baseball.  The only reason I tuned in was to see how my bets and fantasy players were doing.      

10. Jets:  The sooner the Winnipeg Jets commit to having 3 offensive/skilled lines the faster they will be able to contend.  Maybe that means committing to Cole Perfetti for next season.  (see #1) 

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11. Jets:  Anybody else getting  tired of seeing Charlie Huddy’s face behind the Jets bench?

12. NHL:  Key dates.

  • 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?

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

View Results

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14. NHL:  Why wouldn’t Jonathon Toews have spoken up sooner about having Covid-19?  His words could have carried a lot of weight in convincing people to get vaccinated.  If Covid-19 can keep an elite athlete like Toews sidelined for as long as it did it is definitely something to be concerned about and shared.  (see#4)

15. Jets:  It is going to be a hectic 3 weeks coming up for the Jets brass but the biggest day for the fans will be on July 28 when free agency opens.  We will find out how serious this franchise is about upgrading the defensive corp.     

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

*

Filed Under: Featured, Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: June 28

June 28, 2021 by

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:  With the Winnipeg Jets season over I have started reflecting on this past season and the one thing that really jumps out at me is how far Sami Niku was buried down the Jets depth chart.  I’ve never been one of the fanatic #FreeNiku guys but in my humble opinion he should have played a hell of a lot more than he did in the past two seasons. 

2. Jets:  The Seattle Kraken expansion draft protection lists are tentatively due in approximately 3 weeks and Chevy is now under the microscope.  What will he and the Winnipeg Jets do?

Poll Question:  Should Kevin Cheveldayoff 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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3. Jets:  With the Winnipeg Jets winning a round in the playoffs this year I thought their pick would be in the 20s but I was pleasantly surprised they are actually getting the 17th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.  I have a feeling Jets fans will be happy Chevy didn’t piss away this pick for a playoff rental.

 4. NHL:  I guess Gary “Count Chocula” Bettman just passively aggressively let Canadians, the CBC, and Sportsnet know where they stand in the grand scheme of things when the NHL released the schedule for the Stanley Cup Finals.

NOT ONE GAME ON A SATURDAY NIGHT.

A Canadian team in the Stanley Cup Final and no games for Canadians on “Hockey Night in Canada”?  

I guess this is Gary’s punishment for Canada and the Montreal Canadiens for knocking out “HIS” team in Vegas.    

5. Jets:  Watching Vegas struggle with the Habs in the 3rd round made me feel a little bit better about how the Jets lost them.  I thought Vegas or Colorado would demolish whoever came out of the Canadian Division but I was obviously wrong.  That didn’t feel very good coming out of my mouth LOL.     

6. NHL:  I hope Seattle fans aren’t expecting a similar team to what Vegas got in their expansion year.  I don’t think NHL GMs will get duped as bad this time around …. or will they?   

7. Jets:  I know I’m probably in the minority now but I wouldn’t be in a great hurry to part ways with Sami Niku.  Unlike others, I don’t buy into the narrative that Niku had his chance here in Winnipeg.  Defencemen can take longer to hit their stride and players with Niku’s offensive game don’t grow on trees. 

Sami Niku has had some bad luck (car accident) and untimely injuries that have factored into his lack of playing time but I think Paul Maurice has mishandled Niku as well while committing to players like Anthony Bitetto, Nate Beaulieu, Derek Forbort, and Jordy Benn because they can kill penalties.    

Winnipeg’s biggest problem is transition and they are willing to throw away a puck-mover?  Ridiculous.  Sami Niku was the 2017-18 Eddie Shore Award winner as the AHL’s outstanding defenceman and at 24-years-old hasn’t even reached his prime.  I think it would be a huge mistake to give him away for nothing.  (see #1)

8. Jets:  I wonder how much money the Jets lost this season and I wonder if the NHL or TNSE will release figures to the public?  

9. Jets:  Pascal Vincent has a new job and its not with the Winnipeg Jets but with the Columbus Blue Jackets.  He will be joining Brad Larsen’s staff as an associate coach in charge of the Columbus power play.  I liked him and thought he was a very good coach for the Manitoba Moose.  Did the Jets miss the boat by not promoting him here?  

10. Jets:  I’m sensing there are a more than a few Jets fans that are starting to turn on Mark Scheifele.  This would be a serious mistake in my humble opinion.  Even though we all acknowledge that Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers had an outstanding year and was the team’s best forward this past season, Scheif is still their #1 center and probably one of their most important players along with Connor Hellebuyck.  Say what you want about Mark Scheifele but 21 goals, 42 assists, for 63 points in 56 games is nothing to sneeze at.  

  

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11. Jets:  The more and more I watch the playoffs and see what is going uncalled and being let go without supplemental discipline the more I realize George Parros and the NHL royally screwed Mark Scheifele and the Winnipeg Jets. 

The DOPS (Department of Player Safety) pretended to give a shit and make it look like they were changing their standards by making an example of a star player like Scheifele.  They picked a player in a small market, with a small voice, and outside of Winnipeg, a team that nobody gives a shit about. 

BRAVO GARY, YOU DID IT AGAIN, YOU’VE SCREWED US.  YOU AND THE DOPS ARE A F’N JOKE.        

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?

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

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14. NHL:  Remember when most hockey experts/fans thought the Habs got ripped off in the PK Subban/Shea Weber trade? 

15. Jets:  Is the 31st or 32nd overall pick really a 1st rounder or for that matter is a pick in the mid-20s a 1st rounder?  Expansion certainly has cheapened the term 1st-rounder.  

In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

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Thanks, Mitch

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