Mitch Kasprick is now the “Westdale Curmudgeon.“ Odds and Ends, Thoughts, and Questions from this past week in Hockey
I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, the Manitoba Moose, 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, or is it the 8Ps? You’ve been warned.
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Host Harley Friesen and Winnipeg Hockey Talk writer Mitch Kasprick discuss his Random Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League.
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1. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets finished the first 3 games of their 5-game road trip with a 1-2 record and finally stopped their losing streak at 4 games. Their record of 13-11-0 still has them hovering around the wildcard position, even though the team is going through one of its roughest patches in quite a few years.
2. Jets: While most Jets fans are lamenting the loss of Connor Hellebuyck, I am actually more concerned about the lack of scoring. Up until Saturday night in Nashville, the Jets have not had any secondary scoring since their last win, 5 games ago, versus Columbus.
3. Jets: The Jets aren’t scoring enough goals to constantly be chasing the game. They are such a different team when they score the first goal. Saturday night was a perfect example; they scored the first 3 goals and won 5-2.
4. NHL: From the “Put that in your pipe and smoke it” file.
I wrote this after the second period of the Caps game on Wednesday night, with the Jets trailing 3-2. Two of the three goals that Eric Comrie let in were muffins that were very low-level scoring chances. When the goalie plays poorly, the narrative is that “it’s a team game, BUT in a 4-3 loss, those 2 goals were the difference, and yes, you can blame the goaltending, so put that in your pipe and smoke it.
5. Jets: The DeMelo Files: The truth is out there.
I think Dylan DeMelo looked like his normal self last week, and although he still takes penalties due to his lack of speed, his overall play was solid.
6. Jets: Question for Scott Arniel: WHY … WHY … WHY
All that pressure, the Cole Perfetti penalty, the goal, and the momentum, all because Luke Schenn couldn’t convert a SIMPLE dump-in. The building is alive now after being a morgue right after Cole Perfetti made it 3-0! WTF … WHY … WHY … WHY
— Winnipeg Hockey Talk (@WpgHockTalk) November 30, 2025
7. Jets: Looking at SOG metrics is meaningless when you watch a Winnipeg Jets game. In some games, they shoot the puck, and in some games, they don’t. It doesn’t matter if they are in a good scoring position or not. Let’s just say they have been known to overpass. Trying to guess the score by the SOG in a Jets game is almost impossible.
8. Moose: The Manitoba Moose went 2-2 last week, making their record 11-8-2-0. The Moose are still in a tie for 2nd in the Central Division and are in a tie for 6th in the 17-team Western Conference. The boys now head out on the road for 3 games next week. This Moose team also has a hard time scoring, which doesn’t bode well for prospects looking for a call-up.
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9. Jets: Elias Salomonsson (RD) and Thomas Milic (G) both made their NHL debuts last week to mixed reviews, but the only ones that matter are the ones here, and they were both good IMHO. If you want to hear my reviews, watch us live tonight at 7 PM on YouTube or anytime after it’s uploaded.
10. Jets: Memory Lane: Ulf Nilsson is my favourite Jets player of all-time. Who is yours?
11. Jets: WHT Poll 
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12. Jets: Special Teams: Rule of thumb. Have the power play and penalty kill (PK and PP) numbers total at least 100% when added (as your minimum).
- PP: 11th at 22.70% down from 8th at 23.30% last week
- PK: 6th at 84.50% up from 6th 83.80% last week
- FO: 6th at 53.00% down from 5th at 53.01% last week
13. Jets: Goaltending:
- Connor Hellebuyck: 8-6-0 … 2.51 GAA … .913 SV%
- Eric Comrie: 5-4-0 … 2.91 GAA … .898 SV%
- Thomas Milic: 0-1-0 … 4.09 … .882 SV%
14. Jets: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly this past week.
- Good: Perfetti has been a disappointment so far this season, but maybe scoring a goal versus Nashville on Saturday night will get him going.
- Bad: I don’t like how easily the Jets are giving up their blueline and backing up into their goalie.
- Ugly: 1-4 post Helle.
15. Things that make me go hmmm:🤔 One of my favourite Jets is Vladdy Namestnikov, but I still haven’t really figured out what he is. He’s a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” His scoring output doesn’t align with his skill set.
16. Things that make me go hmmm:🤔Part 2. Hmmm Chevy!
It looks like Laurent Brossoit is a man without a home. He hasn’t played for Chicago since signing a two-year contract with them on July 1, 2024.
During “Saturday Headlines” on Hockey Night in Canada, Elliotte Friedman reported the Blackhawks have given other teams permission to speak with Laurent Brossoit’s camp about trading for him, as the Blackhawks don’t have room for his $3,300,000 cap hit. Spencer Knight is currently their starting netminder with Arvid Soderblom serving as his backup.
The good news is he can probably be had at a bargain basement price, AND Chicago has two salary retention slots still available and could retain a portion of Brossoit’s contract if the price is right.
Brossoit is set to start playing in a conditioning stint in the American Hockey League this week.
17. Jets: WHT Poll
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18. NHL: Pet Peeve:
Hockey announcers who base a player’s play on their points. On Saturday night, Garry Galley was gushing about a certain player because he had 2 assists in the game, even though he was a tire fire most of the night.
19. Jets: From the “You want the truth, you can’t handle the truth“ file.
Maybe last year was the outlier, and this is the real Jets.
20. Jets: I’m not sure Brad Lambert or Nikita Chibrikov earned their way onto the Jets roster coming out of training camp this year, or not, as I didn’t attend camp this year. They did make the roster because of injuries to Adam Lowry and Dylan Samberg though. What I can say now, after 24 games, is that I would prefer any combination of Lambert, Chibrikov, and Salomonsson in the lineup.
I’m not sure what criteria are being used to justify the icetime and roster positions occupied by Tanner Pearson, Gus Nyquist, or Luke Schenn, but I’m not buying whatever it is. I have 2 eyes.
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1. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets are halfway through their six-game Western road trip and went 0 for California and looked like crap doing it. The only way they can salvage this road trip is by winning the last 3 games. That won’t happen, only scoring 2 goals in 3 games.