Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Feb. 1

February 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 and split the two games they played and now have an overall record of 5-3-0 for the season.  This week should be fun though

2. Jets:  Now that the “the trade” is behind us the next topic of discussion is what will the new lines look like?  I wouldn’t mind seeing PLD centering the 3rd line to get his feet wet as long as they give him a decent winger/wingers.  Maybe Vesalainen, MP, Harkins or drop Wheeler down with him.  That would put three strong pairs of forwards together.  

3. Jets:  A lot of Jets fans are upset that Ville Heinola hasn’t dressed since the Ottawa game two weeks ago and they are taking their frustration out on Logan Stanley.  Stanley has played pretty well in my opinion and he is not the problem right now.  There is a LD struggling right now and we all know who it is.      

4. Jets:  The consensus from last weeks two poll questions were that considering the circumstances, Kevin Cheveldayoff did a pretty good job and the Jets got a very good player, Pierre-Luc Dubois in return for Patrik Laine AND most fans didn’t have very high expectations for Logan Stanley but have been pleasantly surprised by his play so far.

5. Jets:  Is it just me or does Helle seem a little off so far this season?   

6. Jets:  Those that know me are going to find this next comment quite amusing.  Since Kyle Connor has actually outscored Patrik Laine in the past two seasons and actually has more total goals over the past three seasons, how come KC isn’t considered a “generational scorer?”   

7. Jets:  Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers sure has been getting a lot of love in Jetsville lately.  Welcome to the party, but what took you so long?  

8. Jets:  Watching Kyle Connor and his linemates trying to play defence right now is like watching a dog trying to hump a football.  It is no wonder that Paul Maurice was trying out different line combos at Sunday morning’s practice.    

9. Jets:  It’s time for a little more Ville Heinola Mr. Maurice.  Please and thanks.  (see #3)

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10. Jets:  Although it is still very early in the season the Winnipeg Jets are heading into an extremely important stretch where they play the Calgary Flames four games in a row with the first three being on home ice.  This is the first of many critical stretches coming up this season.  

11. Jets:  I’m not big on making excuses for the Winnipeg Jets and their players but I think there are a few players not up to snuff yet and maybe the short training camp and lack of pre-season games have hurt some.  Yes, it has been the same for every team but all players are built differently.  We are now at the nine-game mark and I think the grace period should be coming to an end, no more excuses. 

12. NHL:  Key dates. 

  • Feb. 1 – Teams may start requesting players waive their NMC for the expansion draft
  • Feb. 11 – Deadline to sign Group II RFAs (usually December 1)
  • 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. Pet peeve:  Games in Winnipeg that start at 9 pm to cater to the eastern markets but especially the game on Saturday night versus the Canucks.  Nobody out east could give a rats ass about the Canucks/Jets game so why not just start it at the regular time.  It turned out to be a nice comfy 7 pm start for Vancouver.  Nice home-ice advantage NHL. 

14. NHL:  A lot of fans are really enjoying these 2 and 3 game series versus the same teams.  The “dislike” level really ramps up in the second or third game.   

15. Jets:  Schedule

16. Jets:  We are eight games into the season and “Jets Twitter” is in rare form.  I love the Twitter GMs and coaches losing their minds over things they have no control of.  Sometimes it is actually more fun than the games.  

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.

  • PP: 16th at 19.40% down from 20.00% last week.
  • PK: 20th at 72.70 down from 76.50% last week. 
  • FO: 21 st at 49 .70 up from 48.90% last week. 

18. NHL:  With the current quarantine rules in effect the US-based teams are going to have quite an advantage come the April 12 trade deadline.  The current 14-day quarantine time is going to make it tough trading with American teams and I doubt the Canadian teams will be willing to help their counterparts unless they are completely out of the playoff hunt.   

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck: 4-2-0 … 2.67 GAA … .910 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit: 1-1-0 … 3.46 GAA … .911 SV%

20. Jets:  Would you be surprised if I told you Logan Stanley leads the Jets defencemen with 15 shots on goal?  He is and I was.   

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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: Patrik Laine Edition

October 19, 2020 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:  There has been an awful lot of conversation about Patrik Laine trade rumours and unfortunately that is probably going to dominate Winnipeg Jets news until he is actually traded or until he signs a long-term contract extension so these random thoughts will be no different. It looks like another two and a half months of speculation and angst in Winnipeg.

2. Jets:  I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I believe the team that gets the best player in a trade always wins the trade and in this case, I have no doubt that Laine will be the best player in any deal he is in.    

3. Jets: In my opinion, there is no correlation between the Paul Stastny trade and the Winnipeg Jets trading or not trading Patrik Laine.  The Jets needed a second-line center no matter who is on the right-wing of the second line.  

4. Jets:  I previously mentioned that you probably won’t win a trade involving Laine BUT that doesn’t mean I don’t think you can improve your team.  The Jets could acquire a couple of pieces that improve the team on a short-term and maybe even one or both on a long-term basis, but you won’t be getting a potential generational talent in return. 

5. WJC:  Here is some good news for the holiday season.  The U20 WJC will be held in Edmonton in the “bubble” albeit with no fans so the Christmas tradition continues.

6. Jets:  A lot of the Paul Maurice haters are having a field day with the Patrik Laine rumours placing the blame directly on the coach.  To be honest I don’t have a lot of issues with Maurice’s handling of Laine but I do have an issue with his usage of Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers.  If there is one player that has a reason to bitch about his usage on the Winnipeg Jets it is Ehlers, not Patrik Laine, and sure as shit, not Jack Roslovic. 

7. Jets:  It was a quiet week in Jetsville as far as actual trades or UFA signings.  Jets fans still hoping for an impact UFA signing or trade.

8. NHL:  I posted this last week but I’m leaving it up because I think it is important and needs more discussion.

I’m not a fan of no-trade and no-movement clauses.  Players shouldn’t be able to have it all, big money and term and then piling on with no-movement clauses.  In my opinion, NTCs and NMCs actually create an unfair playing field within the NHL and it hampers the ability for GMs to make trades.  The NHL has enough imbalance with teams in certain states having no taxes and warmer climates.  This makes it tougher on a lot of markets and especially Canadian teams.  I would propose some sort of grandfathering out of NMC and NTCs.  It would be for the good of the game and level the playing field a little bit although I don’t see the NHLPA ever agreeing to that and unfortunately, I don’t see the owners picking that as a hill they want to die on during collective bargaining   If I were an owner in a Canadian market I would be pushing for it.  By the way, when was the last time a Canadian team was in the Stanley Cup Final?  Hmmm. 

9. Jets:  Looking back at the free-agent period as we stand today the Winnipeg Jets have improved their team basically because of the Dylan DeMelo signing and the Paul Stastny trade but the problem is a lot of teams in the Western Conference improved their teams more.  

10. NHL:  It looks like Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley may have inadvertently spilled the beans last week about there being a Canadian Division this coming season. 

When asked about trading defenceman Nate Schmidt to the Vancouver Canucks, a division rival, Foley explained why he wasn’t concerned.

They’re going to play in the Canadian Division this year.  I don’t think that border’s going to be open before January 1st.  I really don’t.  Cause Canada’s got spikes going on, they’re starting to lock down again.  Winnipeg’s locking down.  Quebec has got spikes going down.  I think they’re going to play in a Canadian division.  I don’t think they’re going to cross the border.”

I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago and it makes total sense because I didn’t think a bubble was feasible until playoff time.

11. Jets:  After a lot of Jack Roslovic trade banter it got quiet awfully fast after Nate Schmidt was traded to Vancouver.  Vancouver getting Schmidt for a third-round pick still irritates the hell out of me and you wonder why I rant about the NTCs.  (see #8)

12. Jets:  Although I do believe there have been talks about a Laine trade, I wouldn’t be surprised if every GM in the NHL has contacted Kevin Chelveldayoff multiple times over the past four years.  I still believe these rumours are agent-driven.  I would like to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth before I get bent out of shape.    

13. Jets:  Some of the Patrik Laine trade rumours that are out there are so laughable I wish these guys coming up with this stuff were in my hockey pools.   

14. Jets:  POLL QUESTION

 

Will Patrik Laine be traded?

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15. Jets:  For the record, I believe Patrik Laine should be on the Winnipeg Jets top line with Mark Scheifele and the other winger should be Nikolaj Ehlers.  Paul Maurice has let Scheif and Blake Wheeler have their way and play together and their preference is to have Kyle Connor as their left-winger.  This is a pure case of letting the inmates run the asylum.  Maurice has been and is criticized for this and it is a legitimate bone of contention with some fans but wouldn’t caving into Laine’s demands be the same thing. 

16. Jets:  I love Patrik Laine and I love it when he scores with that one-timer on the Jets PP but let’s not forget he is not a perfect player and he is still a work in process.  Laine made some good strides this past season and he will only get better and maybe playing him on the second line wasn’t/isn’t the end of the world.  Mark Scheifele and Kyle Conner aren’t exactly defensive juggernauts and that is being extremely kind. 

17. Jets:  Even if Patrik Laine doesn’t his way and has to slum it with Paul Stastny and Nikolaj Ehlers for a year doesn’t he realize that Blake Wheeler won’t be the first-line right-winger forever, hell Mark Scheifele might not even be the first-line center in a couple of years.  Maybe Patrik should stake his claim on the right-wing with Cole Perfetti before Blake Wheeler does.  Of course, I jest but make no bones about it the Jets top line in three seasons will be Ehlers-Perfetti-Laine.  Book it.  

18. Jets:  I remember the days when coaches coached and players shut their mouths and played.  I realize it is a different world now and today’s players need to be coddled a little more but at some point, you have to look in the mirror and ask yourself if it is about you or the team?  If the answer isn’t the team it is time to pack your bags and don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out.   

19. Jets:  Even though I’ve said you can’t let the inmates run the asylum if it came down to choosing between Paul Maurice and Patrik Laine, I choose Laine.  I pay to watch Patrik Laine play, not to watch Paul Maurice coach.  You can’t lose a potential generational player for a middle-of-the-road coach and this thought goes completely against my grain.

20. Jets:  Patrik Laine will not be traded. Winnipeg is good.    

 

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: Aug. 10

August 10, 2020 by

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

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

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Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: July 27

July 27, 2020 by

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

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

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

Celebrating The Winnipeg Jets’ Biggest Wins Of The Season

April 21, 2020 by

The Jets’ Biggest Wins of the Season

Sport is usually in a constant state of motion, where a team’s focus switches at the end of one match towards the preparation for next.  This means that any break between NHL matches is the perfect time to take stock and celebrate recent achievements.  It’s never dull following the Winnipeg Jets, with the side defying some pre-season predictions that suggested this campaign would be a struggle. [Read more…]

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