Thoughts on the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg ICE, and the NHL
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…]
Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”
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: After more off-season reflection on the Winnipeg Jets I think our fanbase and some of our media may have overrated the depth and makeup of the team’s roster. It has been said many times in different places that if and when the Jets become legitimate SC contenders that Adam Lowry would be our 4th line center. If we were being honest, the truth of the matter is this team had TWO 4th lines and that’s why we lost to Montreal. I really like Adam Lowry’s line but I would consider them more of a shutdown line that chips in the odd goal here and there. You can blame our blueline all you want but the Jets lost ONE skilled player (Mark Scheifele) and the Jets offence disappeared or shrunk like a frightened turtle ………. cue George Costanza’s #SHRINKAGE
2. Jets: The Seattle Kraken expansion draft protection lists are tentatively due in less than 2 weeks and Chevy is now under the microscope. What will he and the Winnipeg Jets do?
Poll Question: Should Kevin Cheveldayoff 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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3. Jets: Please Chevy, don’t overpay Andrew Copp. Even though Copp had a good season and he is a fan fave, he is still a bottom six winger in my opinion and overpaying 3rd and 4th liner players is a recipe for disaster.
4. NHL: I’m a cynical person by nature so I couldn’t help but think the Jonathon Toews announcement about him having Covid-19 came at a time when the microscope is clearly on the Blackhawk organisation for all the wrong reasons. Was Toews doing the organisation a favour by deflecting attention from the stories of sexual abuse within the Hawks organisation in 2010? The timing sure seems fishy.
5. Jets: I wonder if the Jets will start their transition over to Mikhail Berdin next season or wait one more year for him? He is only 23-years-old so there is no rush.
6. NHL: Habs fans dumping on Carey Price is laughable. How do they think they got to the SC Final? Talk about short memories.
7. Jets: I would like to see the Jets move Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers to the top line right from the get-go this upcoming season. It is time for the team’s best winger to play with the teams best center.
8. Jets: Anybody else concerned about the size on the Jets back-end for next season? I would be shocked if Ville Heinola isn’t a regular in the line-up but that only makes the size back there even smaller. Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, and Neal Pionk are all listed at 6 feet but if you believe that you probably believe in the tooth fairy.
9. NHL: I bet this SC Final will have lowest tv ratings in decades and it isn’t because of the Montreal Canadiens. I think a lot of hockey fans were turned off by Tampa’s salary cap manipulation. I watched some of the SC Final but I also watched just as much basketball and baseball. The only reason I tuned in was to see how my bets and fantasy players were doing.
10. Jets: The sooner the Winnipeg Jets commit to having 3 offensive/skilled lines the faster they will be able to contend. Maybe that means committing to Cole Perfetti for next season. (see #1)
11. Jets: Anybody else getting tired of seeing Charlie Huddy’s face behind the Jets bench?
12. NHL: Key dates.
13. Jets: Are Paul Maurice’s or Kevin Cheveldayoff’s jobs in jeopardy?
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14. NHL: Why wouldn’t Jonathon Toews have spoken up sooner about having Covid-19? His words could have carried a lot of weight in convincing people to get vaccinated. If Covid-19 can keep an elite athlete like Toews sidelined for as long as it did it is definitely something to be concerned about and shared. (see#4)
15. Jets: It is going to be a hectic 3 weeks coming up for the Jets brass but the biggest day for the fans will be on July 28 when free agency opens. We will find out how serious this franchise is about upgrading the defensive corp.
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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Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”
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.
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.
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:
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:
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
Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”
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 are 1-0 after winning their only game this season over Calgary (4-3 in OT) but it sure looked ugly after the first period. The Jets looked disorganized and awful defensively but they completely turned it around in the second and third period and won it on a terrific goal by Patrik Laine in overtime. Wheeeeeeew.
2. Jets: After one game Patrik Laine certainly has Winnipeg Jets’ fans shouting “SIGN HIM NOW”. Laine’s two-goal and one assist performance was a thing of beauty.
3. Jets: With Tucker Poolman not making the road trip because of Covid protocol and Dylan DeMelo missing because of the birth of his child we should get a look at Logan Stanley, Dylan Samberg or Ville Heinola on this road trip.
4. Jets: Based on what we’ve seen here with Nik Ehlers and Tucker Poolman the Winnipeg Jets and the NHL are taking no chances when it comes to their Covid-19 protocols and especially after what happened to the Dallas Stars.
5. Jets: Elliott Friedman has reported that the Pittsburg Penguins may have interest in disgruntled Jets RFA Jack Roslovic. It would interesting to see what they would offer? I’m guessing nothing off their current roster.
FYI: Jack Roslovic (RFA) has until Feb. 11 to sign with the Winnipeg Jets or another team, if the Jets trade him, or he becomes ineligible to play this season.
6. SPHL: This is pretty good from the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League.
The legend lives on 🍟 pic.twitter.com/uss4qHbJXE
— Knoxville Ice Bears (@icebears) January 18, 2021
7. Jets: The Winnipeg Jets play five games this week and six games over the next nine days and although I would like to see them go 6-0, I don’t think that is realistic. Considering the line-up challenges and the schedule I would be ok with 6-7 points but would be a little disappointed if we didn’t get 7-8 points.
8. Jets: For me, the jury is still out on the Tucker Poolman/Josh Morrissey paring. I thought Poolman really looked over-matched at times BUT I also thought he did some good things. In fairness, I think we need to see him for at least a 10-game segment before passing judgement.
9. Jets: I thought Derek Forbort quietly had a nice first game for his new team. I thought he and Neal Pionk were the Jets’ best pairing.
10. Jets: Me, last week before the New Jersey Devils claimed Eric Comrie on waivers.
Why didn’t Chevy bring in a veteran goalie on a PTO as insurance for Helle and Brossoit. The thought of Eric Comrie having to play leaves me sleepless at nights and Mikhail “birdman” Berdin is not quite ready yet.
Asked and answered:
#NHLJets have claimed goaltender Anton Forsberg off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes.
DETAILS: https://t.co/IlfCipo2AW
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) January 15, 2021
11. Jets: It is too bad but I think we may have seen the last of Sami Niku.
12. NHL: Key dates.
13. Pet peeve: I don’t care what the NHL rulebook states, I don’t understand why this is allowed in today’s game? What is the purpose of having a goal crease? I like the IIHF rule where if you enter the crease on your own without being pushed in, the referee blows the play dead and moves the faceoff outside the blueline.
14. Jets: After losing Eric Comrie to the New Jersey Devils (waivers) and claiming Anton Fosberg from the waiver wire (Carolina) there is no doubt in my mind the Winnipeg Jets got the best of this exchange.
15. Jets: Schedule
16. NHL: The problem with 3-point games in the NHL is the misinformation that goes along with them. After the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils split their two games in overtime/shootout both teams’ tv analysts declared their teams both had a successful opening two-game series by taking 3 out of 4 points when they actually took 3 out of 6 points.
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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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