What to do with Mathieu Perreault? –
I’ve always been a big fan of Mathieu Perreault and what’s prompted me to write this article is the realization that he becomes a UFA at the end of this season. [Read more…]
Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Apr. 19
April 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 returned home from a successful (4-1) road trip this week and then stunk the joint out on Saturday night versus a well rested Edmonton Oilers team. The good guys looked tired and slow in a 3-0 loss. What is it about these first home games after a road trip? The Jets are now 4 points behind Toronto for first and 3 points ahead of third place Edmonton. They play Toronto and Edmonton twice each in their next 4 home games. These next four games could either clear up the top of the division or muddle it up even more, we’ll see in a couple of weeks. Their overall record currently sits at 27-15-3.
2. NHL: FYI: Seattle is required to draft 14 forward, 9 defencemen, and 3 goalies according to their expansion agreement AND the Vegas Golden Knights are exempt from the expansion draft per their entry agreement. The most any team can lose is one player.
3. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets just finished a stretch of 22 games where 17 were on the road. They went a very impressive 11-5-1 away from home and 13-7-2 overall in that stretch. That is a lot of hockey in a 43 days. The Jets now finish off their season with 9 of 12 at home.
4. Moose: The Manitoba Moose only played 1 game last week, a solid 5-1 victory over Belleville. They start a 5-game series at home this week vs Stockton before closing out their season with seven road games in Toronto and Belleville. Their overall record improved too .500 at 11-11-2-0.
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.
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6. Jets: I’m starting to find Kyle Connor’s defensive play or should I say lack of defensive play very tiresome and it’s even worse when he and Mark Scheifele are on the ice together. It is a real “Catch 22” for Paul Maurice, they are very good together offensively but a gong show in the defensive end. This is further magnified when Paul Maurice tries to match the Scheifele line vs Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews, it rarely ends well for the Jets.
7. Jets: Adam Lowry signed a very “team friendly” five-year contract to remain in Winnipeg. Lowry will receive $2,500,000, $3,250,000, $4,500,000, $3,25,000, and $2,500,000 over the next five seasons. The contract has an average annual value of $3,250,000 and contains a modified (6 team) no-trade clause. There is no doubt that Lowry could have been paid much more money if he went to market, even in this flat cap era. Sometimes I like to make fun of the Jets “kumbaya” attitude but there is obviously a lot to be said for being happy in your workplace.
8. Jets: I thought Logan Stanley had his worst game of the year Saturday vs Edmonton. It was bound to happen and I’m just waiting for the haters to pounce.
9. Jets: Saturday night vs Edmonton was the first game I can actually say I was a little disappointed in the play of Pierre-Luc Dubois although he wasn’t alone. The whole Jets team looked slow and tired and the well rested Oilers really made them look bad at times. I’m not sure if anybody noticed but Paul Maurice sat PLD for the last half of the third period. Message sent, now we’ll wait and see how he responds.
10. Jets: With the acquisition of Jordie Benn at the trade deadline I would like to see a little more competition for play on the 3rd pairing. I would like to see Ville Heinola, Logan Stanley, and Jordie Benn rotate in and out and you can actually add Derek Forbot to the list. Forbort’s play is slipping and he could use an occasional night off.
11. NHL: There were rumours that Adam Gaudette was the Canucks player that broke protocol and started the spread of Covid throughout the team. Based on his early exit on trade deadline day (traded to Chicago) I would say that might be a safe observation. I would say his being traded was probably for his own protection because I’m sure there was a lineup of players that wanted to kick the crap out of him. I’m looking forward to the first Vancouver/Chicago game next season.
12. NHL: Key dates.
- 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: Last weeks poll question about Chevy and his trade deadline showed that 90% of Jets fans were fine with not trading away 1st round picks and prospects for a rental player.
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14. NHL: Ya, the NHL doesn’t have a goal crease problem! This was from Thursday night this past week.
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: Remember the days when “Big Buff” played and Connor McDavid was a non-factor against the Jets?
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 26.10% up from 25.80% last week.
- PK: 2nd at 80.30 down from 81.00% last week.
- FO: 5th at 49.50 up from 49.10% last week.
18. Jets: I was on the fence when Chevy signed Derek Forbort but he has been a better UFA signing than I originally expected. I didn’t have very high expectations for him but he has played surprisingly well for the most part. I think his play has regressed some lately but when I compare him to what we had on our blueline last season he is still an improvement. Based on his salary ($1,000,000) and his usage, I still think he was a good signing.
19. Goaltending:
- Conner Hellebuyck: 21-12-3 … 2.50 GAA … .919 SV%
- Laurent Brossoit: 6-3-0 … 2.57 GAA … .916 SV%
20. Jets: I don’t hate the Nate Thompson signing as much as I did the day the Jets signed him. I was livid when Chevy first signed him but he has proved me wrong. Thompson and Trevor Lewis along Mathieu Perreault/Jansen Harkins have been a solid 4th line.
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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:
winnipeghockeytalk@gmail.com
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
Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Apr. 12
April 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: The Winnipeg Jets had a good week going 3-0-0 and jumped into second place in the Scotia North Division. They are one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers with a game in hand. Their overall record currently sits at 25-13-3.
2. NHL: St. Adolphe wasn’t selected as the winner of Kraft Hockeyville but as they say, it was an honour to be nominated. I was really pulling for them. I’m sure they’re disappointed but $25,000 is a decent consolation prize that will be put to good use. Congrats to everyone involved.
3. Jets: Not much going on up to this point with the Winnipeg Jets as far as a trade is concerned. Prices seem steep although I wouldn’t have minded Brandon Montour for a 3rd round pick.
4. Moose: The Manitoba Moose played 3 games this week versus Belleville going 2-1 and improved their overall record to 10-11-2-0. The Moose have 6 games left on their current homestand before finishing off their season with 7 games on the road. Winnipeg Jets 2020 first-round pick Cole Perfetti is playing meaningful minutes and the nineteen-year-old has put up am impressive 17 points in 24 games (including Monday’s game).
5. Jets: Poll Question: Who is your biggest surprise on the Winnipeg Jets roster so far this season?
Logan Stanley was the winner with 65% of the vote. For me this wasn’t much of a surprise since the expectations for him were very low. Stanley he has made great strides and has even impressed a lot of his doubters.
6. Jets: I just about lost my lunch when I was glancing at some Winnipeg Jets stats and noticed that Kyle Connor (39) is only six points ahead of Andrew Copp (33) in scoring. Based on opportunity and deployment I say good on you Andrew and shame on you KC. KC with top unit PP and better line-mates should be higher in my opinion.
7. Jets: The Jets 1st unit PP is struggling. It seems predictable, it moves the puck slowly and lacks a net-front presence. The 2nd unit is having more success because Neal Pionk and Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers don’t pass up good shooting opportunities and Mathieu Perreault isn’t afraid to get in front of the opposition goalie. You don’t have to have a cannon from the point to have success. Josh Morrissey has an adequate shot and needs to find the shooting lanes and SHOOT more.
Update: The Jets PP went 1 for 6 and probably cost them the game. They did score one nice goal on their first attempt but in the next five they couldn’t solve Gustafsson and probably gave up as many scoring chance as they created.
8. NHL: Blaming Torts for Patrik Laine’s play is a lazy narrative in my opinion.
9. Jets: This should help and might be a clue that something is cooking.
We’re told that Winnipeg has moved Nathan Beaulieu to LTIR, giving them and additional $1,250,000 in non-prorated Salary Pool relief.
They now have $4,792,501 in current cap space. pic.twitter.com/vq2gOkEwl1
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) April 12, 2021
10. Jets: How did the Brady Tkachuk elbow to Blake Wheeler’s face go unpunished by the clowns that run the NHL’s Department of Player Safety? What the hell does it take? These clowns need to wake the hell up. Wheeler is suffering concussion symptoms and all Tkachuk’s elbow to the face rated was a minor penalty. WHAT A JOKE.
11. NHL: Man those Vegas Golden Knights bright gold helmets are fugly.
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
TRADE UPDATE:
The Winnipeg Jets trade a 2021 6th round pick to Vancouver for defenceman Jordie Benn.
Are you happy with Kevin Cheveldayoff’s move or lack of moves.
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14. Jets: There is a certain faction of Jets fans that irritate the living crap out of me and especially on Twitter. They refuse to give Logan Stanley any credit whatsoever. What’s the problem? Is he too tall? Does he have too long a reach? Is it the toughness he adds to the team? WHAT?
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: Is there anything more satisfying than a low stress win against a hated original six team like the Habs on a Saturday night? I guess beating Toronto is right up there as well. Now that I think about it, beating Edmonton and Calgary is pretty sweet too.
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 25.80% up from 25.70% last week.
- PK: 1st at 81.00 up from 80.20% last week.
- FO: 5th at 49.10 up from 48.60% last week.
UPDATE: Today, the National Hockey League has announced that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and the First Nations Pandemic Rapid Response Team’s Melanie MacKinnon have been named the NHL’s Co-First Stars of the Week for the week ending April 11, 2021. Hellebuyck went 3-0-0 last week with a .938 save percentage and a 1.67 goals against average.
18. Jets: I’m tired of the Josh Morrissey/Tucker Poolman pairing. It’s time for Paul Maurice to come to his senses and move Dylan DeMelo back up with Josh.
19. Goaltending:
- Conner Hellebuyck: 20-10-3 … 2.45 GAA … .921 SV%
- Laurent Brossoit: 5-3-0 … 2.63 GAA … .914 SV%
20. Jets: FYI: Corey Perry is a weasel. Just ask Connor Hellebuyck who has had a couple of run-ins with him this season.
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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:
winnipeghockeytalk@gmail.com
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
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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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:
winnipeghockeytalk@gmail.com
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. 1
March 1, 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 quiet week with only two games, both versus the Montreal Canadiens and they managed to come away with four points. They were full value in their win on Thursday night but stole the second game in overtime on Saturday after being outplayed for most of the night. The Jets now have a modest 4-game winning streak and an overall record of 13-6-1.
2. Jets: March is going to be a beast of a month for the Winnipeg Jets with 17 games and only 5 at home. If the boys can manage a minimum of 17-20 points they should be in decent shape heading into the home stretch with 12 home games in their final 20.
3. Jets: For the second overtime game in a row the Jets started the three on three with 3 forwards and scored within the first minute (36 seconds). I wonder if Paul Maurice will make this a regular occurrence?
4. Moose: The Manitoba Moose finished their second week of play with a four-game road trip in Laval and they went 2-2-0 but the disappointing part was they won the first two games and couldn’t scratch out another point in the final two games. Their record currently sits at 4-4-0 overall. The Moose continue their road trip with two games in Toronto and two more games in Belleville before heading home for 17 in a row at home. That’s right, I said 17!
5. Jets: In a game where the Jets were outshot 41-21, Nathan Beaulieu logged a game high 24:o1 on Saturday night. Nuff said. The Jets won 2-1 in OT, so I guess Nate lives to fight another day. I’m not a Beaulieu hater. I think he is useful as a depth defenceman, maybe a number 7 or 8 but not a top pairing guy that plays the most minutes in any game. That is insanity. What is Paul Maurice thinking or is this on Charlie Huddy?
6. Jets: Mathieu Perreault has been quietly been playing some pretty good hockey of late and I’m not sure anybody has noticed. MP just quietly goes about his business and plays wherever needed and doesn’t complain. He is true pro.
7. Jets: Pierre-Luc Dubois now has five games under his belt so I think it is time for Paul Maurice to fully optimize his lineup and get PLD back to playing center. Scheif, Dubois, Stastny, and Lowry make a formidable center ice combination. Time for Nate Thompson and Trevor Lewis to join the popcorn brigade and get Kristian Vesalainen and Jansen Harkins back into the lineup as well. Thompson and Lewis are okay as depth forwards and will still be needed with back to back games upcoming and injuries but shouldn’t be playing over the kids in my opinion.
8. Jets: Is #27 the Winnipeg Jets best player outside of Connor Hellebuyck?
9. Jets: Kyle Connor is absolutely scintillating in the offensive zone but absolutely cringe-worthy in the defensive zone. I don’t know how many times he gives away the puck or can’t get it out but he is definitely the worst of the Jets forwards.
10. Jets: Kyle Connor and Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers have sure found some nice chemistry together and Paul Stastny compliments them quite nicely as well. I’m not sure I would mess with this line when the re-shuffle starts.
11. Jets: I’ve watched 5 out of the 8 Manitoba Moose games his season and I’m not sure what the Jets are waiting for because Ville Heinola is NHL ready and Dylan Samberg isn’t far behind. I’ve always been impressed with Heinola but I really like Samberg.
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:
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14. Jets: I thought Sami Niku played very well in his two games against the Habs last week. His puck moving ability and his breakouts were very good and I hope he gets into more games in the future.
15. Jets: Schedule
16. Jets: There are rumours the Winnipeg Jets are in the market for a right-shot defenceman and Brandon Montour’s name keeps popping up. There was a time where Montour was considered a sure-fire top-four defenceman. I would take a long, hard look at acquiring him if I were Chevy.
FYI: Brandon Montour makes $3,850,000 this season and next season he becomes a UFA.
17. 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 23.40% up from 22.80% last week.
- PK: 2nd at 80.00 down from 80.40% last week.
- FO: 5th at 49 .50 up from 48.70% last week … Jets faceoffs are still weak in special team situations.
18. Jets: Why isn’t Dylan DeMelo playing with Josh Morrissey?
19. Goaltending:
- Conner Hellebuyck: 10-5-1 … 2.56 GAA … .918 SV%
- Laurent Brossoit: 3-1-0 … 2.24 GAA … .935 SV%
20. Jets: Paul Maurice is constantly bombarded on Twitter for a myriad of reasons and sometimes deservedly so and I occasionally wonder myself if the Jets win because of him or in spite of him? (see #5) Discuss amongst yourselves.
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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:
winnipeghockeytalk@gmail.com
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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