Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: May 3

May 3, 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 finished one of their most embarrassing stretches in 2.0 history last week going 0-5 on their last homestand, losing 3 games to Edmonton and 2 games to Toronto.  Even more disturbing was they only scored 6 goals in those 5 games, the goaltending was sub-par, and they had minimal push-back as the Leafs and Oilers toyed with them in their own barn.  Thank goodness there were no fans in the building because it might have gotten ugly.  A lot of Jets fans are trying to put on a brave face and say things will be ok once the playoffs start etc. etc. but there is a lot of gloom and doom amongst the fanbase right now.  

UPDATE:  After a tough 2-1 loss in Ottawa last night the Winnipeg Jets losing streak is now SEVEN games.  The Jets went 0 for 6 on the PP and gave up a shorthanded goal.  I think that says it all.

2. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets went 0-3 last week and don’t have to worry about first or second place anymore.  That ship has sailed.  Now they are only two points ahead of Montreal for third place.  Wow, how the mighty have fallen.  The free-falling Jets now sit at 27-20-3. 

3. Jets:  The bloom is definitely off the rose as far as Derek Forbort is concerned.  Has now entered Anthony Bitetto and Nathan Beaulieu country as far as the Jets fanbase is concerned.  

4. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose had a good week snagging 5 of 6 points from the Stockton Heat and now have finished their monster 7-game homestand with a solid 9-5-2-1 record improving their overall record to 15-11-2-1 on the season.  The Cole Perfetti watch now has him at 8 goals, 15 assists, for 23 points in 29 games.

UPDATE:  The American Hockey League announced today Moose forward Cole Perfetti has been named the CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month for April.  Perfetti, 19, tied for the lead among AHL rookies, and the Moose, in scoring in April.  He recorded 13 points (4G, 9A) in just nine games. 

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.  

Will Chevy or should Chevy cut a deal with Seattle GM Ron Francis so the Jets don't lose a player in the expansion draft?

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6. Jets:  The biggest thing I’ve noticed during this bad stretch for the home team beside their ongoing poor defensive play is their offence is struggling because they spend far to much time on the perimeter.  This team likes to score off the rush but when that’s not happening they seem to lack the grind to score the greasy goals.  The only players that regularly go to the tough areas and get their noses dirty are Mathieu Perreault, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Adam Lowry, and Mason Appleton.  Teams are starting to adjust their game plans from regular season to playoff mode and the Winnipeg Jets haven’t or can’t match those adjustments.  They have three weeks to figure it or it will be another early exit from the playoffs and then heads should roll …. if Mark Chipman has the balls.

7. Jets:  The Winnipeg Jets blueline has been a source of concern all season but to be honest I think this team’s biggest problem isn’t the actual players but the deployment of the players.  Tucker Poolman is taking a lot of heat but is it his fault he is on the top pairing?  Derek Forbort’s play has really gone downhill in the last few weeks but he is still being trotted out alongside Neal Pionk every night.  Right now, Jordie Benn might actually be playing better than the beleaguered Derek Forbort.  Why is Dylan DeMelo still playing in the third pairing?  Why aren’t Ville Heinola and Logan Stanley playing more?  Hell, Sami Niku couldn’t be as bad as Forbort lately.  The biggest problem with the Jets blueline seems to be the guy or guys behind the bench.  I can’t believe the suits all agree on the deployment of the team’s defencemen and if they do the problem is even worse than we could imagine.   

8. Jets:  Does Kyle Connor still play for the Jets?  Is he the “Seven Million Dollar Man” or the “Invisible Man”?  I’ve tried real hard to change my attitude when it comes to KC but it is stretches like his current slide (one assist in six games), that validate my opinion that he is an overpaid one-dimensional hockey player and when that one dimension disappears he is absolutely useless.  He brings nothing else to the table if he’s not scoring.       

9. Jets:  I like the new Jets powerplay setup with Blake Wheeler on the right-side half wall and Neal Pionk on the point but for the life of me I can’t understand why Kyle Connor,  the team’s top sniper is sitting on the bench in favour of ANDREW COPP?  What the hell is wrong with Paul Maurice?  Are the Jets paying Kyle Connor over 7 million dollars a year to get 20 seconds on the second PP unit? 

10. Jets:  I love Connor Hellebuyck’s positive attitude and his belief in himself and his teammates but I can’t help but wonder how he really feels about his team’s play in front of him most nights.  He is definitely a little off right now but I never doubt his ability to rebound.  As always, this Winnipeg Jets team only goes as far as Helle takes them.   

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11. NHL:  Your referees are LOL laughable.  Only NBA officiating is worse and that’s nothing to be proud of.  Their bar is set so low.  It was bad enough the Jets stunk on their 5-game homestand but they weren’t the only ones that stunk in the building.  

12. NHL:  Key dates.

  • May 16 – End of the regular season
  • May ?? – 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:  Is Paul Maurice’s job in jeopardy.  Is Kevin Cheveldayoff’s job in jeopardy?

After being swept in the second round by Montreal should heads roll?

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14. Jets:  Enough already with the Andrew Copp in the top six and on the powerplay.  He is a very good third line winger and with Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton he is part of one of the very best third lines in the NHL.  (see#9)   

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:  Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers is one of my favourite Jets players and he could possibly be the team MVP but there is no way that his absence and Adam Lowry’s absence should impact this team as much as it seems it has.  Where is all this alleged depth this team has?    

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 25.00% down from 25.20% last week.
  • PK: 2nd at 79.10 up from 81.10% last week. 
  • FO: 5th at 49.90 up from 49.60% last week.

18. Jets:  I’m not big on firing coaches and GMs after a tough stretch like the Winnipeg Jets are going through right now but the warts and warning signs we’ve been seeing for the past 3 seasons are on full display right now and if this Jets team had any other goaltender than Connor Hellebuyck, Paul Maurice and Kevin Cheveldayoff might have been gone long ago.  This organisation needs somebody like a President of Hockey Operations for the coach and GM answer to and not an owner that still thinks he’s running an AHL team.  Mark Chipman is too damn loyal and doesn’t have the stones to make the hard decisions.  Getting past the first round ONCE in twelve years would have had most GMs canned years ago.  This fanbase deserves better.    

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  21-16-3 … 2.72 GAA … .912 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit:  6-4-0 … 2.39 GAA … .922 SV%

20. Jets:  EVERYBODY GETS INJURIES.  EVERYBODY IS DEALING WITH A TOUGH COMPRESSED SCHEDULE.  EVERYBODY IS BORED, FEELING CONFINED AND SICK OF COVID-19.  ENOUGH ALREADY.  PUT YOUR BIG BOY PANTS ON AND PLAY HOCKEY.  NO MORE EXCUSES.  

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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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Mathieu Perreault: A Pro’s Pro

April 21, 2021 by

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…]

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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.  


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.   

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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.

Are you ok with the Winnipeg Jets trade deadline day?

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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:

[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

 

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

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.        

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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?

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

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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.   

*

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

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Mar. 15

March 15, 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 pretty good week in the standings.  They went into Toronto and took FIVE points in their three-game series versus the first-place Maple Leafs.  The first two games weren’t pretty and they won thanks to Connor Hellebuyck but the Jets bounced back in the third game (Laurent Brossoit started) and proved they can win a game not having to rely on Helle.  The Jets finished their 5-game road trip with a 3-1-1 and now have an overall record of 17-8-2 and have closed to within four points of the first-place Leafs with three games in hand.

2. Jets:  I really hate to see any player get injured but Nathan Beaulieu’s wrist injury may be the break (no pun intended) that Sami Niku and/or Logan Stanley needed.  Nate could be out for 2-3 weeks.  There is a narrative in Winnipeg that a lot of the better lineup decisions made are because of injuries and not correct player evaluation and in some causes I can’t disagree.      

3. Jets:  Jets are rumored to be looking for a right shot defenceman but they could have had hometown boy Travis Hamonic who was a UFA and ended up signing with Vancouver for $1,000,000 but Chevy chose to sign Nathan Beaulieu and Luca Sbisa on the opening day of free agency.  What was Chevy thinking? 

4. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose finished their four-game series with Stockton last week with a win after two OT and one regulation time loss.  Their overall record now sits at 7-7-2-0 overall for the season.  A quirk in the schedule now has them off for twelve days in the middle of their 17-game homestand.  I guess this will give Pascal Vincent some much needed practice time during a very hectic few weeks to open the season.  

5. Jets:  Cole Perfetti is off to a nice start in his professional career in the AHL with 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points in 16 games.  Perfetti certainly doesn’t look out of place and he is getting more comfortable each game.  I think the Jets have themselves a good one and I can see him being a contributor to the team in 2-3 years and maybe less.  

6. NHL:  The NHL is really starting to irritate me with their constant tweaking of the draft lottery every freaking year.  Just go back to the way it used to be and if teams want to tank, let them tank.  What is worse, a really bad team tanking or a team like the already advantaged NYR moving up in the draft lottery two years in a row including winning the #1 selection.  Tank on boys.     

7. Jets:  You’ve been Hellebuycked might become a new adjective in Toronto after this past week.  Helle had the Maple Leaf forwards shaking their heads on the bench and especially William Nylander who was robbed more than a few times.   

8. Jets:  I bet most Jets fans would prefer to see Logan Stanley in the lineup over a player like Nathan Beaulieu and who would have believed that a year ago?  Stanley has been a pleasant surprise and still hasn’t reached his ceiling yet.  It will interesting to see how this plays out in the weeks to come.  (see #2)  

9. Jets:  The David Savard watch has begun.   


10. Jets:  Is Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers the most underrated forward in the NHL?  The goals he scored versus Toronto last week were pure snipes.     

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11. Jets:  With the Manitoba Moose not playing for almost two weeks I wonder if the Jets might think about getting Ville Heinola into their lineup?  Heinola has 4 goals and 6 helpers for 10 points in 16 games with the Moose and looks very comfortable at the AHL level.  Unless they want to use his ELC slide he should be next one up and if he does get called up there is no way he’s going back. (see #4)

FYI:   What is an Entry Level Slide? (from CapFriendly)
If a player who is signed to an entry-level contract and is 18 or 19 years of age (as of September 15 of the signing year), does not play in a minimum of 10 NHL games (including both regular season and playoffs; AHL games do not count), their contract is considered to ‘slide’, or extend, by one year.  For this shortened season it has been pro-rated to 7 NHL games.  Example, if a player signed an ELC for three seasons from 2015-16 to 2017-2018, and their contract slides, their contract is now effective from 2016-17 to 2018-19.  An exception to this rule is that if the player is 19 on September 15 of the first year of their contract, and turns 20 between September 16 and December 31, their contract does not slide.

Players who sign at 18 years old are eligible to have their contracted extended for 2 seasons.  This extension does not apply if the player turns 20 between September 16 and December 31 in his signing year.  Signing bonuses do not slide, and are paid to the player regardless of a slide, this causes the annual average of the players contract to change, and therefore the cap hit decreases for this player.

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:  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. NHL:  I don’t know what the big deal is about some NHL teams south of the border allowing a limited number of fans into games, hell Florida and Arizona have been doing it for years.    

15. Jets:  Schedule

16. Jets:  How come when Connor Hellebuyck steals a game we feel the need to be apologetic and not deserving of the win.  Last time I checked the goalie is part of the 6 players on the ice and I’m okay if Helle is one of my best players on a given night, although I wouldn’t want this to become a habit.  Goaltenders stealing games is nothing new and it’s not like the Winnipeg Jets have never been out-goalie’d.  Quid pro quo.     

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 25.00% up from 23.60% last week.
  • PK: 3rd at 77.60 up from 77.10% last week. 
  • FO: 6th at 48 .20 down from 48.80% last week … in Saturday night’s win over Toronto Mark Scheifele was decent winning 10 of 18.

18. Jets:  Sami Niku seems to be the forgotten man and an afterthought now that Ville Heinola is around.  I think Sami Niku has looked very good in his limited playing time this season.  I love his offensive game and I’m really pulling for him.  To be honest I don’t know where he fits in but he is to good not to be getting some playing time.  

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  12-7-2 … 2.81 GAA … .911 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit:  5-1-0 … 2.48 GAA … .921 SV%

20. NWHL:  Am I a bad person because I have no interest in watching women’s hockey unless I see the National Team jerseys on display?  I don’t want to watch a game where Marie-Philip Poulin and Kendall Coyne Schofield are on the same team.  For me, the allure has always been the Canada/USA rivalry with an Olympic Gold Medal or a World Championship on the line.  I love our Canadian women’s program and I watch every game on tv just like millions of others but I question if there is enough support to sustain a professional league for the women.  It is all about supply and demand but it looks like there is more supply and not as much demand. 

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In memory of my friend Darryl Manchulenko.

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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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