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?  

Embed from Getty Images

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: Mar. 29

March 29, 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 3-1-0 and are in contention for 1st place in the North Division.  I’m not sure many Jets fans thought it was possible during the preseason with some of their roster concerns here they are.  They now have an overall record of 21-12-2.

2. Jets:  Basically one day after I declare to the world that I think Andrew Copp is where offence goes to die he scores FOUR goals.  Excuse me while I go remove my foot from my mouth.  All kidding aside, it was nice he scored 4 goals and super cool he won a Jets fan $100,000 but my opinion is still the same, Andrew Copp is a very good third liner and penalty killer, I don’t see him as an offensive player or a top 6 forward on a playoff team.    

3. Jets:  I think I might be like a lot of Jets fans and I’ve started taking Connor Hellebuyck for granted.  It sure is nice having a goaltender that is basically at the top of his game every night.        

4. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose finally hit the ice again after a 12 day layoff and continue their 17-game homestand.  They went 1-2-0 versus the division leading Laval Rocket this past week.  The highlight was a late comeback on Thursday where Skyler McKenzie scored with 32 seconds left to bring them within 1 goal and then David Gustafsson with a buzzer beater with 1 second left in regulation.  The Moose then grabbed the extra point in the shootout.  They lost  tough one on Friday, 1-0 and then let one get away on Sunday afternoon.  The Moose had a 3-1 lead halfway through the 3rd period and ending up losing 5-3 (EN).   

In an interview with the guys from Illegal Curve on Saturday morning, Moose coach Pascal Vincent said that David Gustafsson is NHL ready.  This is not a surprise to anybody that watches the Manitoba Moose regularly.  The nice thing is Gus is a center that is also comfortable on the wing.      

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:  In an interview this past week Patrik Laine stated he was blindsided by his trade to Columbus.  Laine is either lying through his teeth or he got unbelievably horrible advice from his agent Mike Liut.  Is it possible Mike Liut was playing a dangerous game of chicken with Kevin Cheveldayoff and Patrik Laine was the collateral damage? 


 7. Jets:  I’m standing by my position that acquiring Mattias Ekholm is just a pipedream.  Winnipeg Jets fans get whipped into a frenzy of hope and anticipation by “the Insiders” just to be disappointed.  Although I hope I’m wrong, I think the asking price will be way to high and Chevy isn’t about to sell the farm on acquiring Ekholm.  I believe there are other options out there that are probably cheaper and make more sense. 

In case you’re wondering, I’m trying reverse psychology … shhhhhh. 

By the way, Nashville is currently in a playoff spot, are they sellers? 

8. NHL:  Good news for Canadian NHL teams, the Federal Government has modified their quarantine policy.  Now players acquired by a Canadian based team from a US based team will only have to quarantine for seven days and not previously required 14 days.

9. Jets:  I’d love to see Jansen Harkins get into the Jets lineup but I guess with the team winning and healthy, Paul Maurice will keep the status quo.  I hope this applies when Nathan Beaulieu is ready to return.    

10. Jets:  Logan Stanley had an eventful week.  The big defenceman got into his first NHL fight during the Vancouver series and on Saturday night in Calgary he scored his first goal, a beauty snap-shot to tie the game in the second period.  Stanley has really opened some eyes with his play and he could be the biggest surprise on the Jets roster to date.

Embed from Getty Images

 

11. Jets:  So far, so good, for the month of March.  At the start of the month I thought if the Jets could play at least  .500 hockey they would still be in contention for 1st or 2nd place in the division.  As of Monday morning they sit at 8-6-1 for the month with 2 games left.  Their best stretch was 2 wins and an OT loss in Toronto that helped them reel in the Maple Leafs at the top of the division.  The last 21 games should be very interesting. 

UPDATE:

After a 5-1 win in Calgary Monday night the Winnipeg Jets finished their 7-game road trip with a 4 wins and 3 loses and improved their record in March to 9-6-1 with one more game remaining.

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:  If the Winnipeg Jets wait right until the April 12 NHL Trade Deadline any players coming from US based teams will still get 10 regular season games with the Jets after honouring their 7-day quarantine period.  (see#8)

15. Jets:  Schedule

16. Jets:  Laurent Brossoit possibly played his worst game in a Winnipeg Jets uniforn on Saturday night in Calgary.  I know it’s a team game and his teammates would never throw him under the bus but I can.  LB lost that game for his team.  He didn’t have chance on the 2nd goal but the 3rd and 4th goals would have been stopped by a pee-wee goalie.  Hell the 4th goal wasn’t even a shot on net. 

Helle has spoiled us but to be fair LB has been pretty darn good all season as well.  (see #3) 

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 26.70% up from 25.80% last week.
  • PK: 1st at 78.60 up from 78.60% last week. 
  • FO: 4th at 48 .60 up from 48.40% last week.

18. Jets:  Tucker Poolman finally got off the schneid Friday night in Calgary with a nice primary assist on Kyle Connors semi-breakaway goal.  Like I said last week, his skillset is too good to be pointless.      

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  16-9-2 … 2.63 GAA … .917 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit:  5-3-0 … 2.63 GAA … .914 SV%

20. Jets:  There are parts of me that don’t want to like our 4th line because I want to see Jansen Harkins and Kristian Vesalainen playing but for me Nate Thompson, Trevor Lewis, and Mathieu Perreault have been much better than I expected and have earned their ice-time.    

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

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Mar. 8

March 8, 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 split two home games with Vancouver and two road games in Montreal this past week but the 7-1 ass-kicking they got in the second game versus the Habs on Saturday night was the game that got everybody’s attention.  After a an even first period it was astounding how fast that game went off the rails.  Hopefully that was a one off because it doesn’t get any easier this week with a 3-game series in Toronto.  The Jets now have an overall record of 15-8-1.

2. Jets:  Nathan Beaulieu is really starting to wear on the Jets fanbase and the more Winnipeg fans bitch and complain about him, the more Paul Maurice digs his heals in.  I don’t get it and it really bothers me that Logan Stanley and Sami Niku aren’t playing anywhere.  I’ll keep saying this until I’m blue in the face that young players need to play.  It looks like neither will play unless there is an injury but we will see tomorrow night in Toronto.  Miracles do happen. 

3. Jets:  It looks like Andrew Copp and Adam Lowry have come back down to earth.  When was that last time either of them have tickled the twine?  It has been over TEN games for both of them.  In the last ten games Mason Appleton has carried that line with four goals.  If we have any hope of success in the upcoming three-game series in Toronto, the Copp/Lowry/Appleton line needs to chip in.  Giddy-up boys    

4. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose finished their eight-game road trip with a 4-4 record and now they sit at 6-6-0-0 overall for the season.  The Moose are now at home for 17 straight games.  It’s time to make hay.   

5. Jets:  There is a lot of talk on Twitter that the Winnipeg Jets should pursue Mattias Ekholm before the NHL trade deadline.  I don’t disagree with the sentiment, I just think it’s a pipe dream.  Ekholm has good size, better than average offensive instincts, and he can play top-pairing minutes.  He has a very team-friendly $3,750,000 per year contract that runs through the 2021-22 season AND doesn’t include a no-trade clause.  What’s not to like?  The problem is he will be one of the hottest commodities in recent trade deadlines and he won’t come cheap.  I’m not getting my hopes up that we have a shot at him and I would be satisfied with a player like David Savard, Brandon Montour, or Colin Miller.  Although I don’t think the Jets have a hope in hell of acquiring Ekholm it doesn’t mean I’m not hoping they do.  I would love to eat my words here.  (see #13)

6. NHL:  Patrik Laine has gone pointless in his last six games.  Do you think he misses the Jets first unit powerplay and those sweet cross-ice saucer passes from the captain?  His supporting cast is just not the same in Columbus and I’d be shocked if he signs there long-term unless they get him some help.  BTW, after an unconscious start in Columbus, Jack Roslovic has cooled down with only five points in his last ten games.   

7. Jets:  Pierre-Luc Dubois is now centering #81 and #27 and this line has potential to be elite.  They are not exactly off to a great start so I hope Paul Maurice leaves them together and lets them gel.  They could be scary good.     

8. Jets:  I am now officially moving Tucker Poolman to my underrated list.  I think he has played very well since returning to the lineup and I for one haven’t really given him enough props.   

9. Jets:  On Thursday night Derek Forbort set a single-game franchise record with 11 blocked shots in the win against Montreal.  The oddity about this is I thought it was one of his poorest games all season.  I guess we can give him a pass because he has been pretty good all year and we ended up winning the game.    

10. Jets:  Connor Hellebuyck has had some shitty luck with a rash of chimpy deflections beating him the last little while.  Just a thought, maybe our defenceman should stop screening him AND do a better job of moving guys in front of the net or tying-up their sticks a little better. 

Embed from Getty Images

 

11. Jets:  Every time I feel like venting after a Jets loss, I just gather myself, look to the heavens, and thank the Lord I’m not a Buffalo Sabres fan.  What an absolute shit-show. 

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. Jets:  Paul Stastny is like a fine wine, he just gets better with age.  He is a joy to watch and I will be shocked if the Jets don’t try and resign him for a couple of more seasons as a place-holder for Cole Perfetti.    

15. Jets:  Schedule

16. Jets:  Would it be fair to say that Connor Hellebuyck has been pretty good this season but nowhere close to his Vezina form from last year?   

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.

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 23.60% up from 23.40% last week.
  • PK: 4th at 77.10 down from 80.00% last week. 
  • FO: 6th at 48 .80 down from 49.50% last week … BRUTAL, the only center winning his share is Paul Stastny.

18. Jets:  I wonder if Paul Maurice would still find room for Nathan Beaulieu in the lineup if the Jets did indeed acquire Mattias Ekholm?  I feel a little bad piling on poor Nate because I actually don’t mind him.  It’s not his fault PoMo misuses a depth defenceman and gives him top pairing minutes.  

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  11-7-1 … 2.73 GAA … .911 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit:  4-1-0 … 2.57 GAA … .923 SV%

20. NHL:  RIP Walter Gretzky 

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

Random Thoughts On The Winnipeg Jets: Feb. 8

February 8, 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 great week taking 5 out of 6 points in their three games versus the Calgary Flames.  Their record is a tidy 7-3-1 overall for the season, good for 3rd place in the Scotia North Division.

2. Jets:  Tomorrow night is PLD’s debut in a Jets jersey against the Flames in Calgary.  I’m sure he will be chomping at the bit to impress his new teammates and try and help Jets fans move on from fan favourite, Patrik Laine.     

3. Jets:  I think it’s time to put Neal Pionk back on the first unit PP.  I’ve always been a huge Josh Morrissey supporter but his game is off and he looks really shaky quarterbacking the PP.        

4. Jets:  No offence to my American friends but I could really get used to these North Division games with only one anthem.

5. Jets:  Nathan Beaulieu, at times this season has been playing some unspectacular but steady defence for the Winnipeg Jets.  Nate’s signing wasn’t my favourite move Chevy made this offseason but I get why they signed him.  Paul Maurice trusts him and likes the fact that he can kill penalties and add a little bit of physicality to the back end.  So far he has done that but he is a depth guy and doesn’t need to be in the lineup every night.  My problem with NB is the more he plays the worse he gets and I  would like to see Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg dress a little more and see more rotation in the bottom pairing.  Generally, this sorts itself out with injuries allowing some lineup changes but outside of Tucker Poolman (Covid) the back-end has been pretty healthy.  I don’t like young players on the sidelines not playing.  

6. Jets:  One of my biggest complaints about this Jets team is they don’t shoot enough and pass up too many shooting opportunities in prime scoring areas.  This team still loves looking for the pretty play.    

7. Jets:  Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers is turning into a solid 200 ft player and it really showed in the Jets 4-1 win versus Calgary on Thursday night.  Although he was held off the scoresheet he made two outstanding defensive plays that went under the radar but were very important in the Jets’ win.  Ehlers has come a long way defensively since his junior days in Halifax.   

8. Jets:  Mason Appleton’s play has really improved this season and especially the last week to ten days and I think his play in the Jets 4-1 win over Calgary on Thursday night was probably his best game in a Winnipeg uniform.      

9. Jets:  To most fans’ surprise, Logan Stanley is still hanging around and playing some pretty strong hockey in his d-zone.  He has made a lot of nice subtle plays that seem to almost go unnoticed just because of his long reach.  His play is definitely surprising a lot of people.     

10. Jets:  Josh Morrissey has 4 assists in 11 games and he is running the first unit PP while Neal Pionk has 8 assists in 11 games and he is running the second unit PP.  What is wrong with this picture?  (see #3)

Embed from Getty Images

11. NHL:  For me, faceoff percentage is the most useless stat the NHL tracks unless they post the faceoff percentage in each zone.  All faceoff wins aren’t equal and some are definitely more important than others in spite of what the analytics say.  A neutral zone faceoff loss isn’t as critical as a d-zone loss and especially when a team is on the PK.  It seems to me like the Jets lose a high percentage of faceoffs while on the PK and are under pressure right from the get-go.             

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. Jets:  Adam Lowry is off to his best start offensively in a Jets uniform with 4 goals and 5 assists in 11 games and looks bigger, faster and stronger.  The Jets are going to have a few tough decisions when figuring out the protection list for the Seattle expansion draft.       

14. NHL:  The Tkachuk family tag line.

“Pissing off opponents since 1991.”

15. Jets:  Schedule

16. Jets:  I actually liked the Winnipeg Jets reverse retro jerseys.  I’m not sure I want to see them every night but 3-4 times a season is fine by me.  I like them wayyyy better than their Aviator jerseys.    

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: 15th at 20.00% up from 19.40% last week.
  • PK: 12th at 81.30 up from 72.70% last week. 
  • FO: 18th at 49 .70 up from 49.70% last week. 

18. Jets:  I wonder where Sami Niku is now on the Jets defensive depth chart?  I like Niku but I think he is hooped now and especially with Tucker Poolman ready to return soon from his bout with Covid-19.    

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  5-2-1 … 2.48 GAA … .913 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit:  2-1-0 … 2.98 GAA … .918 SV%

20. Jets:  Tomorrow night we are going to see something we haven’t seen in Winnipeg since the arrival of Jets 2.0.  The Jets are going to roll out four strong lines like we’ve never seen before.  It may take a few games for them to gel but it sure looks good on paper.  Here is a look at the projected forward lines for Tuesday’s game in Calgary.

Copp-Scheifele-Ehlers

Vesalainen-Stastny-Wheeler

Connor-Dubois-Lewis

Perreault-Lowry-Appleton

I would flip Trevor Lewis and Mason Appleton but it looks like Paul Maurice doesn’t want to split up the Lowry/Appleton tandem.           

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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: 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)

Embed from Getty Images

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.   

*

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: , , , , , ,

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