Hey Winnipeg Jets fans. It’s your team, you pick it. Everybody has their favourites and their whipping boys so take this opportunity to pick your Jets team for next season.
Winnipeg Jets Options and Thoughts For Next Season
June 9, 2021 by
Winnipeg Jets changes and possible improvements –
I would like to see the Winnipeg Jets start developing more players on their roster and if that means 4th line deployment so be it. Roster blocking young players like David Gustafsson, Ville Heinola, Jansen Harkins, and Kristian Vesalainen for aging veterans like Nate Thompson, Trevor Lewis, and Jordie Benn makes no sense.
Paul Maurice gets criticized for leaning on his aging vets but if Chevy keeps enabling him by signing and/or trading for these types of players Paul Maurice will continue to play them. So, who is really to blame?
To be fair I thought Lewis and Thompson did a pretty decent job on the fourth line BUT did they really move the needle enough and were they difference makers? Hell no.
A fourth line of Gustafsson, Harkins, Vesalainen/Perreault could have probably done the same job while earning valuable experience.
New vision: Coaching
Based on Mark Chipman’s history of loyalty I’ve resigned myself to the fact that the Winnipeg Jets will keep the status quo and Kevin Cheveldayoff and Paul Maurice will be back next season, but how long is their leash? I feel both should be on a short leash but probably more so the coach.
This team is in dire need of a new system. Paul Maurice needs to implement a system that doesn’t revolve around Connor Hellebuyck facing the most high danger chance in the league and having to make 30 plus saves a every night.
The system is problematic. This hybrid man to man system and chasing their check all over the defensive zone looks confusing and it is not working. Too many players have their backs to the puck while following a man who isn’t a threat. Maybe this group can’t execute it, whatever, it is not working.
Paul Maurice’s biggest problem is his infatuation with 35-year-old plugs, he needs to start teaching and trusting the younger players in the organisation. It was a criminal that Ville Heinola and David Gustafsson were in the AHL and Jansen Harkins was used so sparingly.
Today’s young players are different than young players 20 years ago. Some of these kids are already playing prominent roles 2-3 years into the league and a lot of them are NHL ready coming right out of junior or college. Some only need only a half season at the AHL level. Paul Maurice needs to adapt his thinking on the organisation’s youth.
New vision: GM
I’m tend to be harder on the GM than I am on the coach but I will concede that Kevin Cheveldayoff might have one of the hardest jobs in the NHL. Chevy has to contend with no movement clauses, warm weather franchises, and teams that play in States with no State Taxes. Jets fans were clamoring for him to sign UFA Alex Pietrangelo last summer but was there ever a chance he could have lured Alex Pietrangelo to Winnipeg? HELL NO.
Of course I have no idea what goes on behind closed doors but Chevy has to be more pro-active and set his sights on trade targets and latch on to him/them like a dog on a bone. Waiting and hoping for prices to drop around the trade deadline isn’t working. Overpay if need be, especially if you’re getting the man you want.
Winnipeg’s fans are smart enough and will understand that’s the price of doing business in this market. Chevy is a typical Winnipeger, trying to get things wholesale and shopping from the bargain bin. Enough of the Thompsons, Bitettos, Letestus, and Bourques.
Toronto and Montreal signed older veterans players like Jason Spezza, Cory Perry, and Eric Staal but they were front-line players in their prime not career 4th-liners. That kind of veteran depth is acceptable and especially at playoff time.
When it comes to free agency the only way to attract big time free agents is to throw money at them. It doesn’t cost you assets from your roster, it’s only money. Yes, this will be tough with a flat cap but so be it. Figure it out. If you think a player will move the needle on your roster go get him.
This might be perceived as a naive notion but the status quo isn’t working. There isn’t one team that’s ever won a Stanley Cup by just drafting and developing. D and D is a big part of building a championship team along with trades that improve the team using picks and prospect currency then and augmented with significant UFA signings. This is a must and Kevin Cheveldayoff has a marginal grade in his trading and and a losing grade in his UFA acquisitions.
Next season’s roster:
We don’t know who we are protecting and/or losing to Seattle in the expansion draft so let’s just go with what we know now. Same with trade and UFA targets. I’ll throw a couple names out there just for conversation.
Untouchables:
- Connor Hellebuyck
- Nikolaj Ehlers
- Mark Scheifele
Almost untouchable:
- Pierre-Luc Dubois
- Ville Heinola
- Cole Perfetti
- Dylan Samberg
- Adam Lowry
- Kyle Connor … I would be open to shopping him and reinvesting that money. $7,142,857 for 5 more seasons is a lot of money for a one dimensional player that is a defensive liability AND disappears when the games get heavy. In saying this he is still a very good offensive player and maybe he matures and develops/improves his 200 foot game. Either way he is still a prime asset.
UFA targets:
- Dougie Hamilton … I’m dreaming but offer him $9,000,000 – $10,000,000.
- Brandon Montour
- Mike Reilly
- Adam Larsson
- David Savard
- Jamie Oleksiak
Trade Targets:
- Seth Jones … with the intention of extending, sign and trade. (I’m not buying into his poor analytics)
- Josh Manson
- Mattais Ekholm … with the intention of extending, sign and trade.
Lose one to Seattle and/or move and reinvest these dollars:
- Blake Wheeler … overpaid at $8,250,000 for 3 more seasons but I don’t think he is done yet.
- Josh Morrissey … $6,250,000 for 7 more seasons … although I’m fine with bringing him back.
- Mason Appleton
- Sami Niku
Re-sign:
- Andrew Copp (26-RFA) … if he he doesn’t price himself out of the market.
- Laurent Brossoit (28- UFA) … Michail Berdin isn’t ready yet.
- Neal Pionk (25-RFA) … no-brainer.
Bring back:
- Dylan DeMelo … borderline untouchable.
- Jansen Harkins
- Logan Stanley … major surprise, made great strides.
- Kristian Vesalainen
On the fence:
- Tucker Poolman (27-UFA) … Wait and see and only resign at depth defenceman money.
- Paul Stastny (35-UFA) … I might re-sign Stastny but it would need to be at a much reduced number. He would be an excellent mentor for Cole Perfetti.
- Mathieu Perreault (33-UFA) … I have a lot of time for MP. Try and re-sign on a two-way contract around $1,000,000 or offer him a position within the org. I could see him working for TNSE in the future.
Drop back and kick:
Thank-you for your service but it is time to play the kids.
- Nate Thompson (36-UFA)
- Trevor Lewis (34-UFA)
- Jordie Benn (33-UFA)
- Dominic Toninato (27-UFA) … maybe bring him back on a 2-way deal. (UPDATE: Resigned for 2 years)
- Derek Forbort (29-UFA)
- Nathan Beaulieu … one more year left at $1,250,000. Should be a buyout candidate but won’t be.
Final thought:
After the dust settles and we analyze this Winnipeg Jets team there is still a lot to like. It is far, far from a perfect team but it is definitely fixable.
Paul Maurice needs to adapt and Kevin Cheveldayoff will need to have the best off-season in his tenure as Winnipeg’s GM because next year in the Central Division will be no picnic.
Colorado, St. Louis, and Minnesota will probably be in the top 3 with improving teams like Dallas, Chicago, Nashville, and Arizona knocking on the door as well.
Readers thoughts:
Please fire off the names of some trade targets and UFAs you would like to see here. I listed a couple off the top of my head but there is many more options out there.
Post or reply in the comment section.
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Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: June 7
June 7, 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.
2021 MEN’S WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONS
CONGRATS to Cole Perfetti on a winning a Gold Medal with Team Canada.
Perfetti had a breakout season in the AHL and also received a Silver Medal at the World Juniors.
1. Jets: They say you’re not in trouble in a playoff series until you lose two home games. Well the Winnipeg Jets are officially in trouble. To make matters worse they were outmuscled and outworked in game three and are now on the brink of elimination. I can’t believe this team completely collapsed just because they’re missing Mark Scheifele and Dylan DeMelo. This team obviously has deeper issues starting with the GM, the coaching, and the players but we’ll look at that in the future.
I had no illusions or delusions about this Winnipeg Jets team winning the Stanley Cup this season, they are a very flawed team but man I really want to win the Scotia North Division and see that banner hanging in the home barn.
The first round sweep of Edmonton will get me through the off-season though.
UPDATE:
The Winnipeg Jets went down in game 4 with barely a whimper. Thanks to 2 goals by Logan Stanley and a stellar effort by Connor Hellebuyck they actually got this game to overtime but it was over within the first two minutes. It was a pathetic display considering the Jets were playing for their lives. In a game where they somehow got to overtime and had a chance to win it was undoubtedly their worst effort in the playoffs. They were outshot 42-16 and were outmuscled and outworked in both ends of the ice.
THE SWEEPERS GOT SWEPT.
2. Jets: The big news this past week was the Mark Scheifele suspension.
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3. Jets: Kyle Connor MIA again. Not only is he lost in the defensive side of the game, he is completely lost without Mark Scheifele. I’ve always said he was line-mate dependent and he earned a juicy $7,142,857 per season riding Mark Scheifele’s coat tails. Ditto, Blake Wheeler with 3 more years at $8,250,000 per season.
4. Jets: FYI: The Winnipeg Jets were 6-3-0 vs the Montreal Canadiens in the regular season and the Habs were 3-3-3 vs the Jets BUT the Jets were 4-1 vs Jake Allen and only 2-2 vs Carey Price.
5. 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.
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6. IIHF: Quarter-final – The Team Canada upset win over the heavily favoured Russian team was one of the highlights of the week for me. Canadian hockey players never fail to amaze me how they can band together and do the impossible at times.
7. Jets: Kyle Connor’s fly-by on the only goal scored in game two just magnifies how important every little play is in a game and especially the playoffs. It is quite well documented that KC is not a good defensive player but his lack of commitment to the defensive part of the game is worrisome for me. He reminds me a lot of Blake Wheeler in the early days. Wheeler really changed and improved his 200 foot game so maybe there is some hope for KC but I doubt it.
8. Jets: When Dylan DeMelo is out of the lineup you really notice how important he is to Josh Morrissey and this Winnipeg Jets team. It takes a lot of pressure off Tucker Poolman who looks a lot better in the Jets third defence pairing. Poolman just can’t handle first pairing match-ups and minutes. It also brings Chevy’s big trade deadline acquisition Jordy Benn into the lineup and he is basically useless.
9. IIHF: Semi-final – Team Canada once again pulled off the upset in beating a very good Team USA squad 4-2 and guaranteeing themselves at least a silver medal. Nobody had them in the Gold Medal game after starting 0-3 but here they are. Since the arrival of Andrew Mangiapane this has been a different team.
10. Jets: I’ve liked a lot of Pierre-Luc Dubois’s game, he does a lot of good, subtle things but I’ve reached the point where I need to see more. It’s playoff time and like most Jets fans, I’m running out of patience.
11. IIHF: The women’s world hockey championship will take place this summer in Calgary after the event was cancelled in Nova Scotia earlier this year. The 10-country tournament will take place Aug. 20-31 at WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park. I am a big fan of women’s international hockey, this will be much better than that Dream Gap Tour that was played in May. Finally some women’s hockey I can get interested in.
12. NHL: Key dates.
- May 15 – Playoffs begin
- 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: Is Paul Maurice’s or Kevin Cheveldayoff’s job 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. I think it’s time to clean house but that’s just me. Please vote on our poll question.
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14. MJHL: Congrats to Niverville on being awarded a MJHL expansion franchise for the 2022-23 season.
15. Jets: Playoff Schedule
1. Wednesday June 2 vs Montreal 6:30 PM (L 5-3)
2. Friday June 4 vs Montreal 6:30 PM (L 1-0)
3. Sunday June 6 at Montreal 5:00 PM (L 5-1)
4. Monday June 7 at Montreal 7:00 PM
5. Wednesday June 9 vs Montreal (if necessary)
6. Friday June 11 at Montreal (if necessary)
7. Sunday June 13 vs Montreal (if necessary)
16. NHL: Watching some of these post-game Zoom press conferences and some of the questions some journalists ask make me shake my head. If you can’t come up with an intelligent question maybe just STFU. My god there are some idiots out there. How do you feel after losing in triple overtime? Really?
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.
Playoff numbers:
After round one:
- PP: 30.00%
- PK: 81.80%
- FO: 54.60%
Current:
- PP: 16.70% …. gave up 2 short handed goals.
- PK: 79.20% …. scored 1 short handed goal.
- FO: 53.20% …. Andrew Copp has had a great playoff in the faceoff circle
18. IIHF: Final – IT IS OVER …. CANADA 3 Finland 2 in overtime … GOLD MEDAL
Ottawa Senators forward Nick Paul with the GOLDEN GOAL.
This may be one of the most unexpected Gold Medals in Canadian Hockey history and Team Canada didn’t take the easy route either. In the quarter-finals they were heavy underdogs versus Russia, in the semi-final the were underdogs versus the Americans, and in the final they were slight underdogs versus Finland. Never, never, never, underestimate Canadian heart. Take note Chevy.
FYI: In game 4 of the Winnipeg/Montreal series the Winnipeg Jets had FIVE Canadians in their lineup and Les Habitants had THIRTEEN.
19. Goaltending:
After round one:
- Conner Hellebuyck: 4-0-0 … 1.60 GAA … .950 SV%
- Laurent Brossoit: 0-0-0 … 0.00 GAA … .000 SV%
Current:
- Conner Hellebuyck: 4-3-0 … 2.23 GAA … .931 SV% Helle can’t do it alone.
- Laurent Brossoit: 0-0-0 … 0.00 GAA … .000 SV%
20. IIHF: Hockey Canada has had a pretty good year to date with one more major event to come in August.
- 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship – GOLD
- 2021 IIHF U20 World Championship – SILVER
- 2021 IIHF Men’s World Championship – GOLD
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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:
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: Mar. 29
March 29, 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 had a good week going 3-1-0 and are in contention for 1st place in the North Division. I’m not sure many Jets fans thought it was possible during the preseason with some of their roster concerns here they are. They now have an overall record of 21-12-2.
2. Jets: Basically one day after I declare to the world that I think Andrew Copp is where offence goes to die he scores FOUR goals. Excuse me while I go remove my foot from my mouth. All kidding aside, it was nice he scored 4 goals and super cool he won a Jets fan $100,000 but my opinion is still the same, Andrew Copp is a very good third liner and penalty killer, I don’t see him as an offensive player or a top 6 forward on a playoff team.
3. Jets: I think I might be like a lot of Jets fans and I’ve started taking Connor Hellebuyck for granted. It sure is nice having a goaltender that is basically at the top of his game every night.
4. Moose: The Manitoba Moose finally hit the ice again after a 12 day layoff and continue their 17-game homestand. They went 1-2-0 versus the division leading Laval Rocket this past week. The highlight was a late comeback on Thursday where Skyler McKenzie scored with 32 seconds left to bring them within 1 goal and then David Gustafsson with a buzzer beater with 1 second left in regulation. The Moose then grabbed the extra point in the shootout. They lost tough one on Friday, 1-0 and then let one get away on Sunday afternoon. The Moose had a 3-1 lead halfway through the 3rd period and ending up losing 5-3 (EN).
In an interview with the guys from Illegal Curve on Saturday morning, Moose coach Pascal Vincent said that David Gustafsson is NHL ready. This is not a surprise to anybody that watches the Manitoba Moose regularly. The nice thing is Gus is a center that is also comfortable on the wing.
5. Jets: Poll Question: Who is your biggest surprise on the Winnipeg Jets roster so far this season?
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6. Jets: In an interview this past week Patrik Laine stated he was blindsided by his trade to Columbus. Laine is either lying through his teeth or he got unbelievably horrible advice from his agent Mike Liut. Is it possible Mike Liut was playing a dangerous game of chicken with Kevin Cheveldayoff and Patrik Laine was the collateral damage?
Take a lap with @shelleyhawk45 and @PatrikLaine29 today to learn a little bit more about the Finn! 🇫🇮#CBJ | @Huntington_Bank pic.twitter.com/7WeYF8blNI
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 21, 2021
7. Jets: I’m standing by my position that acquiring Mattias Ekholm is just a pipedream. Winnipeg Jets fans get whipped into a frenzy of hope and anticipation by “the Insiders” just to be disappointed. Although I hope I’m wrong, I think the asking price will be way to high and Chevy isn’t about to sell the farm on acquiring Ekholm. I believe there are other options out there that are probably cheaper and make more sense.
In case you’re wondering, I’m trying reverse psychology … shhhhhh.
By the way, Nashville is currently in a playoff spot, are they sellers?
8. NHL: Good news for Canadian NHL teams, the Federal Government has modified their quarantine policy. Now players acquired by a Canadian based team from a US based team will only have to quarantine for seven days and not previously required 14 days.
9. Jets: I’d love to see Jansen Harkins get into the Jets lineup but I guess with the team winning and healthy, Paul Maurice will keep the status quo. I hope this applies when Nathan Beaulieu is ready to return.
10. Jets: Logan Stanley had an eventful week. The big defenceman got into his first NHL fight during the Vancouver series and on Saturday night in Calgary he scored his first goal, a beauty snap-shot to tie the game in the second period. Stanley has really opened some eyes with his play and he could be the biggest surprise on the Jets roster to date.
11. Jets: So far, so good, for the month of March. At the start of the month I thought if the Jets could play at least .500 hockey they would still be in contention for 1st or 2nd place in the division. As of Monday morning they sit at 8-6-1 for the month with 2 games left. Their best stretch was 2 wins and an OT loss in Toronto that helped them reel in the Maple Leafs at the top of the division. The last 21 games should be very interesting.
UPDATE:
After a 5-1 win in Calgary Monday night the Winnipeg Jets finished their 7-game road trip with a 4 wins and 3 loses and improved their record in March to 9-6-1 with one more game remaining.
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?
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14. Jets: If the Winnipeg Jets wait right until the April 12 NHL Trade Deadline any players coming from US based teams will still get 10 regular season games with the Jets after honouring their 7-day quarantine period. (see#8)
15. Jets: Schedule
16. Jets: Laurent Brossoit possibly played his worst game in a Winnipeg Jets uniforn on Saturday night in Calgary. I know it’s a team game and his teammates would never throw him under the bus but I can. LB lost that game for his team. He didn’t have chance on the 2nd goal but the 3rd and 4th goals would have been stopped by a pee-wee goalie. Hell the 4th goal wasn’t even a shot on net.
Helle has spoiled us but to be fair LB has been pretty darn good all season as well. (see #3)
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 26.70% up from 25.80% last week.
- PK: 1st at 78.60 up from 78.60% last week.
- FO: 4th at 48 .60 up from 48.40% last week.
18. Jets: Tucker Poolman finally got off the schneid Friday night in Calgary with a nice primary assist on Kyle Connors semi-breakaway goal. Like I said last week, his skillset is too good to be pointless.
19. Goaltending:
- Conner Hellebuyck: 16-9-2 … 2.63 GAA … .917 SV%
- Laurent Brossoit: 5-3-0 … 2.63 GAA … .914 SV%
20. Jets: There are parts of me that don’t want to like our 4th line because I want to see Jansen Harkins and Kristian Vesalainen playing but for me Nate Thompson, Trevor Lewis, and Mathieu Perreault have been much better than I expected and have earned their ice-time.
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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:
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: Mar. 22
March 22, 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.
If you’re a fan of Andrew Copp you might want to ignore #2, #10 & #11.
1. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets did not have a very good week going 1-3-0, although for the most part I thought they played fairly well. They had a shot at winning both games in Edmonton but they haven’t figured out how to stop Connor McDavid. They now have an overall record of 18-11-2 and sit in 3rd place in the North Division.
2. Jets: I’m not sure what exactly triggered this and it has been slowly building but lately Andrew Copp is really been irritating me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always liked his play with Adam Lowry and whoever is on the right-winger with that line but I’ve NEVER bought into the narrative that he could be a top-six forward and especially not on this Jets team. I don’t like him or his stone hands on the second powerplay unit either. I like him on the 3rd line and on the penalty kill and that’s it.
3. Jets: Prospects are currency and the Jets have plenty of prospect currency to trade if need be. This is part of “draft and develop. Every prospect is not going to play with the big club, there just isn’t enough room on the roster and if you have prospects ready to play but nowhere to play them means your scouting department is doing a good job. The trick and balancing act is trading them while their value is still considered high (not like Jack Roslovic) and not letting them over-ripen on the farm. Outside of Ville Heinola, Dylan Samberg, and Cole Perfetti, I say the Winnipeg Jets should be open for business.
4. Moose: The Manitoba Moose get back into game action on Thursday after a 12 day layoff. I’m looking forward to watching Cole Perfetti play. Perfetti is the Jets prospect that has really caught my eye early on and I want to see him play more before the OHL restarts and he heads back to junior.
5. Jets: The Jets can part ways with Charlie Huddy anytime now and I would be more than okay with it.
6. Jets: The Jets have played 11 of their 17 March games with 12 being on the road and I mentioned at the start of the month that they needed to be .500 or better to stay in the hunt and as of this morning they are 5-5-1. They really need to get a couple wins or more this week to stay on pace. The good guys play 5 games in 8 nights and 6 games in 10 nights to end the month and I think they need to get some fresh legs into the lineup. Jansen Harkins and/or Kristian Vesalainen will hopefully get into some games and maybe even Ville Heinola although I won’t hold my breath on Heinola.
7. Jets: Does it bother anybody else that the Winnipeg Jets’ best offensive defenceman (Neal Pionk) doesn’t run the top powerplay? I don’t want to hear any BS about a left versus right shot thing being the argument either. Nobody is buying that line of crap. For crying out loud Paul Maurice will you please put your best players where they belong and stop overthinking everything.
8. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets will never have success against the Edmonton Oilers until the figure out they need to pay special attention to Connor McDavid. It is impossible to completely neutralize McDavid but you need to be harder on him. The Jets coaches still think we can trade chances with the Oilers because our top six is better than the Oilers but as good as our top six forwards are we don’t have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl I’m sick of losing to TWO guys. Figure it out Maurice.
9. Jets: As Pierre-Luc Dubois gets more comfortable you can see the chemistry developing with Kyle Connor and Nik Ehlers and it is only a matter of time before they are the #1 line.
10. Jets: I believe it is time to give the more offensive Mason Appleton a little taste on the 2nd unit PP instead of stone-hands Andrew Copp. Unlike Copp, I believe Appleton might actually have a chance at being a top-six winger down the road. No rush, just a thought. Appleton’s improved played was unexpected for me but a very nice surprise.
11. Jets: I’m not even sure if there is a stat that tracks a team’s icings but I would bet the Winnipeg Jets lead the league and I’ll even take it one step further and say that we lead the league in the most brain-dead icings with Andrew Copp being the leader.
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?
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14. Jets: I wonder what Buff is doing? Now that would be a trade deadline acquisition. Dustin Byfuglien brought more than a big body and tremendous skill, he gave this team a swagger that they’ve lost in his absence. The Jets played 3 inches taller with Buff on this team, nobody was going to take advantage of them on his watch. I’m talking to you Zach Kassian.
HEY! IT IS MY ARTICLE AND I CAN DREAM IF I WANT.
15. Jets: Schedule
16. Jets: I find it hard to believe that a player with a skillset like Tucker Poolman has ZERO points after 17 games.
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: 3rd at 25.80% up from 25.00% last week.
- PK: 3rd at 78.70 up from 77.60% last week.
- FO: 4th at 48 .40 up from 48.20% last week.
18. Jets: Just a thought here but if Chevy can make a trade for Travis Hamonic while the Jets are in Vancouver this week they should be able to bring him home within the constraints of their team bubble avoiding a 14-day quarantine much like Toronto did with Alex Galchenyuk from Ottawa. Keep in mind that was based on Ontario’s protocols.
19. Goaltending:
- Conner Hellebuyck: 13-9-2 … 2.83 GAA … .911 SV%
- Laurent Brossoit: 5-2-0 … 2.43 GAA … .920 SV%
20. Jets: I can’t see Logan Stanley coming out of the lineup when Nate Beaulieu is healthy. Stanley is young and improving and already does everything better than Nate.
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