Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Feb. 28

February 28, 2022 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 went 1-2-1 on their 4-game road trip last week and finished the month of February with an underwhelming 5-5-2 record. 

The good guys start off the month with four straight games at home and 10 out 16 in March.    

The Jets record is currently 23-21-9.  They are 6 points behind Dallas for the final wildcard spot and sit sixth in the Central Division. 

The Jets play Montreal on Tuesday and Dallas on Friday.  To say these two games are huge would be a massive understatement.  These two games will could go a long way in determining whether Chevy sells at the deadline.  

[Read more…]

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Winnipeg Jets First Quarter Grades: Defencemen, Goalies, And Special Teams

December 3, 2021 by

Winnipeg Jets grades for the defencemen and goaltenders – 

At this time last season, the Winnipeg Jets defensive corp was well below league average in my opinion but Kevin Cheveldayoff added a couple of solid mid-range defencemen that have vastly improved the Winnipeg Jets back end.  This season this corp is far better moving the puck in transition but the defensive system seems to still struggle even with an overall better defensive corp.  The system is flawed at times and still allows too many high-danger chances.  The goaltending is still way better than average but the special teams are an embarrassment considering the personnel this team employs.    [Read more…]

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Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Apr. 5

April 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:  The Winnipeg Jets had a so-so week going 1-1-1.  After beating Calgary on Monday they concluded a pretty tough month of March with a record of 9-7-1.  The Jets went 0-1-1 vs Toronto this week but I thought they played pretty well in both games with the exception of the first period of their 3-1 loss on Wednesday.  They now have an overall record of 22-13-3.

2. Jets:  First and foremost.  Lets get on the bandwagon and help our neighbours in St. Adolphe with their quest to become Kraft Hockeyville. 

Voting starts this Friday at 8 am MB time. 

VOTE early and VOTE often at http://KraftHockeyville.ca

3. Jets:  I think Winnipeg fans that don’t watch a lot of other teams outside of the Jets don’t realize what they have in Pierre-Luc Dubois.  I love everything about his game but he is a very different player than Patrik Laine and he may end up being a better fit in the long run.  His game reminds me a lot of LA’s Anze Kopitar and I think most Winnipeg Jets fans could all live with that.   

4. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose only played one game this week, losing to a very good Laval team 3-1.  The Moose will get back to a more normal schedule now and play nine more games at home to finish off their monster 17-game homestand.  The Moose need to make some hay in these nine games after only winning two games in the first eight of this homestand. 

Noteworthy: David Gustafsson has 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points in 10 games with Manitoba Moose and should be a no-brainer to replace Nate Thompson next season.  I will be surprised if we don’t see him up with the big club at some point this season.    

5. Jets:  Poll Question:  Who is your biggest surprise on the Winnipeg Jets roster so far this season?

Who has been the biggest surprise this season? Good or Bad.

View Results

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6. Jets:  I know it’s just conversational fodder but Kevin Cheveldayoff is not going to leave Dylan DeMelo, Josh Morrissey, or Logan Stanley exposed for the Seattle expansion draft.  I would expect Chevy to make a deal with Seattle much like the one he did with the Vegas Golden Knights.  

 7. Jets:  I would be very happy if Mason Appleton turned into a player like Zach Hyman.   

8. NHL:  I wonder if Patrik Laine tries to play out his RFA contract with Columbus and get to free agency so he can sign in Florida with his buddy Aleksander Barkov?  

9. Jets:  Nathan Beaulieu had surgery this past week for a torn labrum and will be done for the season.  You never want to see a player lose his job to an injury BUT I’m not sure we see Nathan Beaulieu much next season unless the Jets have 3 or 4 injuries and if we do it will be time for a very HARD look at this team’s brain trust. 

10. Jets:  Is it possible that with the NHL’s flat salary cap for the foreseeable future that pending RFA, Andrew Copp could price himself out of Winnipeg much like Brandon Tanev and Ben Chiarot?  

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11. Jets:  Looking forward to next season I think most Jets fans would expect Ville Heinola and probably Dylan Samberg to be regulars in the Jets lineup and with the emergence of Logan Stanley I wonder if the Jets bring back Derek Forbort?  I think I would but that would be a lot of left shot defencemen.   

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?

Who would be your top trade deadline acquisition for the Winnipeg Jets?

View Results

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14. Jets:  The NHL trade deadline is next Monday and I would be surprised if Chevy waited until the last minute to make his trade/trades UNLESS the prices are too high and he needs to wait until closer to the deadline to make his best deal.  I can see a couple small depth deals but not the big fish Jets fans are hoping for.

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:  Looking back at it in retrospect, the Winnipeg Jets did pretty well in the Jacob Trouba trade and it actually saved them quite a bit of money as well.  Next year Neal Pionk and Ville Heinola combined will still make way less than Trouba’s AAV of $8,000,000 per season.  Thumbs up to Chevy and our scouts.  

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 25.70% down from 26.70% last week.
  • PK: 1st at 80.20 up from 78.60% last week. 
  • FO: 5th at 48 .60 down from 48.60% last week.

18. Jets:  I have a love-hate relationship with Tucker Poolman and it changes from game to game.  Sometimes I like a lot of things he does and other times I wonder what the hell he is doing in the NHL.    

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  17-10-3 … 2.53 GAA … .920 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit:  5-3-0 … 2.63 GAA … .914 SV%

20. Jets:  The popular narrative going around in hockey circles is that this is the year to trade your first round pick because of the uncertainty of the rankings because most prospects haven’t played much or at all.  For me, this is the exact reason to keep your first rounder, you might get a steal later in that first round.  NHL teams have had rankings on these players since they were 16 years old so I’m not sure the issue is as big as some are making it out to be.

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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:

[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: Christmas Edition

December 23, 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.

                           MERRY CHRISTMAS

1. NHL:  After a bit of posturing and negotiating from both sides the NHL and NHL Players’ Association reached an agreement to play a 56-game regular season starting Jan. 13, 2021, and ending May 8 giving hockey fans an early Christmas present.

2. NHL:  Key points in the NHL’s return to play

  • Formal training camps will begin on Jan. 3.  There will be no preseason games.  The seven teams that did not participate in the 2019-20 Return to Play will be permitted to open their camps as early as Dec. 31.
  • The Stanley Cup Playoffs will feature 16 teams in a best-of-7, four-round format and conclude around mid-July with the plan of returning to a normal hockey calendar for the 2021-22 season (regular season beginning in October).
  • The top four teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs. The first two rounds will be intradivisional, with the first-place team playing the fourth-place team and the second-place team facing the third-place team in the first round. The four teams that advance from the second round to the Semifinal Round will be seeded by their points total in the regular season (No. 1 vs. No. 4; No. 2 vs. No. 3). 

 3. NHL:  Due to the pandemic and travel restrictions the NHL will have new divisions for the upcoming season and the much talked about Canadian Division is now a reality.  I have a feeling some owners and a couple of Canadian sports networks won’t want to go back to the regular divisions.  Travel could be an issue but not a deal-breaker in my opinion but we all know it will never happen.

NOTE:  At this point (Dec.23), none of the provinces have approved play in the Canadian team’s home rinks.

UPDATE: Dec. 24  

UPDATE: Dec.24 

     

4. Jets:  The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get that Kevin Cheveldayoff signed Nathan Beaulieu and Luka Sbisa on the first day of free agency.  If I was going to bring back any defenceman from that train wreck of a blueline from last year it would have been Dmitry Kulikov and I wouldn’t have been in any hurry to do that.  Chevy’s penchant for bargain-basement depth players is getting tiresome.  It wouldn’t bother me as much if these players spent most of their time in the press box BUT Paul Maurice always feels obligated to play these guys ahead of the younger guys.  Chevy’s lustre wore off for me long ago, he is a marginal GM at best and in my opinion, he has overstayed his welcome.    

5. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets are a cap team with one of the worst bluelines in the league, at least on paper. How is this even possible?  This could change if Dylan Samberg and/or Ville Heinola pan out and become top-four defencemen (as rookies) but this is a tremendous leap of faith made by the organisation. 

6. Jets:  I don’t know about you but the Patrik Laine trade rumours are getting a little old.  I know they say where there’s smoke there’s fire but he is still a Winnipeg Jets player last time I checked.  I have never for one moment thought he was going anywhere.  Chevy was probably getting calls on him every day and probably would have traded him if he got an offer he couldn’t refuse. 

Embed from Getty Images

7. NHL:  For this season only the NHL will be allowing advertising on the player’s helmets.  Considering the lack of HRR (hockey-related revenue) floating around, this makes sense to me.    

8. NHL:  I wonder how many NHL players are anti-vaccine because I have no doubt when the time comes that vaccinations will be made mandatory in the league.  NHL players are a microcosm of society and there is always a percentage of people that are anti-something.    

9. Jets:  Every ounce of backbone this Winnipeg Jets team had left when Dustin Byfuglien retired with the exception of Adam Lowry.  I fear for this team in heavy games and there will be lots of those with this new division and the number of back-to-back games versus the same team. 

10. Jets:  I wonder what Patrik Laine’s agent Mike Liut thinks his market value is?  I think his agent is trying to overprice him and I’m not sure he will ever get the big money his agent thinks and especially now with a flat cap for probably 2-3 more seasons.  This is what I think is a fair offer for Laine.  How about an eight-year deal worth $70,000,000 with an AAV of $8,750,000. Two years at 8, two years at 8.5, two years at, 9 and two years at 9.5.  I think this is more than fair. 

11. Jets:  Winnipeg Jets fans will have three prospects to watch at this year’s U20 WHC.  Jets 2020 1st round pick Cole Perfetti (10th overall) will suit it up for Team Canada, and a pair of 2019 draft picks Ville Heinola (20th overall) and Henri Nikkanen (113th overall) should pique our interest for a couple of weeks.  I am especially looking forward to seeing fourth-rounder Henri Nikkanen.  The big left-winger was a projected first-rounder but injuries saw his stock plummet all the way down to the fourth round.  The prevailing opinion after the draft was the Winnipeg Jets got away with highway robbery getting him in the fourth round.  Time will tell.

12. NHL:  Revised dates.

  • Dec. 24 – Deadline for players that weren’t in the bubble (7 teams) to opt-out of the 2021 season
  • Dec. 27 – Deadline for players that played in the re-start (24 teams) to opt-out of the 2021 season
  • Dec. 28 – Waiver period begins
  • Dec. 30 – The 7 teams that didn’t play this summer can open training camp
  • Jan. 3 – Remaining 24 teams open training camp
  • Jan. 13 – Season opener
  • 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

Dec. 24 and 27 are the deadlines for NHL players to opt-out of the season due to Covid concerns …. what happens if a player decides he wants to opt-out on Jan. 3?

 

13. Jets:  With every game being played within the division it is even more important to get off to a good start.  Every game is a 4-pointer AND it is basically like a playoff game every night.  This is going to be an interesting season.

14 Jets:  It has been reported that Henri Nikkanen was clocked skating at 39.31 km/hr.  I’m guessing that is pretty fast. (see #11)

15. Jets:  I really like the hiring of Dave Lowry as an assistant coach.  I always like hiring coaches that have played in the league and especially a player that was a very good defensive forward.  This is exactly what the doctor order for this current crop of Winnipeg Jets forwards who are one of the worst in the entire NHL in my opinion.

16. Jets:  Welcome back Marko Dano.  I’ve always like Dano, he is the type of player that can help you up and down the lineup.  A nice depth piece.

17. WHT:  I would like to wish all of our readers and all Winnipeg Jets hockey fans a safe and Merry Christmas.  Keep the faith, better days are on the horizon.  We now have a couple of approved vaccines (Phizer and Moderna) with a couple more on the way and they are starting to be administered and before you know it our normal way of life will be back.  Please, please stay vigilant and respect the protocols set in place to help flatten the curve and take the strain off of our health care workers.  As much as we love our hockey heroes these tireless workers have been the real heroes during this pandemic.  Even though the end is in sight, we still have several months of hard work to go.  THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU to our healthcare workers for your dedication and hard work.

18. WHT:  I would also like to thank all the people that help to make our lives as normal as possible.  The cashiers at our stores, the delivery drivers, the postal workers, the gas station attendants, the long-distance drivers that keep providing our stores with product etc etc.  THANK-YOU ALL.

Last and certainly not least I would like to thank these people and merchants in MORRIS.  Thank-you to Morris Bigway for picking and delivering our groceries when needed, Valley Pharmacy for dropping off our prescriptions when we couldn’t get there, the Morris Post Office, Integra Tire for picking up and dropping off our car after getting new tires, George’s Burgers for our weekly Fat Boy and poutine or fries, Subway, Tim Horton’s, Co-op Gas Station, and to our neighbours … Randy, Mary-Jane, and Vicky and our other neighbour, Andy.  During this pandemic, these people have been there in one form or another to make our lives better.  THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU.

And finally a huge thanks to our daughters, Maureen and Tara for looking after us when PK (Phyllis Kasprick) broke her ankle, we would have been lost without them … AND THANK-YOU TO PK WHO IS THE BEST. 

     Merry Christmas and GO JETS 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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Winnipeg Jets Week One Free Agency Recap

October 13, 2020 by

Grades and analysis from all the Jets moves since free agency opened

Trade:

To Winnipeg: C Paul Stastny, 1 year remaining at $6.5 million

To Vegas: D Carl Dahlström, 1 year remaining at $850k, conditional 2022 fourth-round pick [Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured, Roster, Winnipeg Jets Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

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