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.     

Embed from Getty Images

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. 

*

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:

winnipeghockeytalk@gmail.com

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. 1

March 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 with only two games, both versus the Montreal Canadiens and they managed to come away with four points.  They were full value in their win on Thursday night but stole the second game in overtime on Saturday after being outplayed for most of the night. The Jets now have a modest 4-game winning streak and an overall record of 13-6-1.

2. Jets:  March is going to be a beast of a month for the Winnipeg Jets with 17 games and only 5 at home.  If the boys can manage a minimum of 17-20 points they should be in decent shape heading into the home stretch with 12 home games in their final 20. 

3. Jets:  For the second overtime game in a row the Jets started the three on three  with 3 forwards and scored within the first minute (36 seconds).  I wonder if Paul Maurice will make this a regular occurrence? 

4. Moose:  The Manitoba Moose finished their second week of play with a four-game road trip in Laval and they went 2-2-0 but the disappointing part was they won the first two games and couldn’t scratch out another point in the final two games.  Their record currently sits at 4-4-0 overall.  The Moose continue their road trip with two games in Toronto and two more games in Belleville before heading home for 17 in a row at home.  That’s right, I said 17!   

5. Jets:  In a game where the Jets were outshot 41-21, Nathan Beaulieu logged a game high 24:o1 on Saturday night.  Nuff said.  The Jets won 2-1 in OT, so I guess Nate lives to fight another day.  I’m not a Beaulieu hater.  I think he is useful as a depth defenceman, maybe a number 7 or 8 but not a top pairing guy that plays the most minutes in any game.  That is insanity.  What is Paul Maurice thinking or is this on Charlie Huddy?

6. Jets:  Mathieu Perreault has been quietly been playing some pretty good hockey of late and I’m not sure anybody has noticed.  MP just quietly goes about his business and plays wherever needed and doesn’t complain.  He is true pro. 

7. Jets:  Pierre-Luc Dubois now has five games under his belt so I think it is time for Paul Maurice to fully optimize his lineup and get PLD back to playing center.  Scheif, Dubois, Stastny, and Lowry make a formidable center ice combination.  Time for Nate Thompson and Trevor Lewis to join the popcorn brigade and get Kristian Vesalainen and Jansen Harkins back into the lineup as well.  Thompson and Lewis are okay as depth forwards and will still be needed with back to back games upcoming and injuries but shouldn’t be playing over the kids in my opinion.  

8. Jets:  Is #27 the Winnipeg Jets best player outside of Connor Hellebuyck?   

9. Jets:  Kyle Connor is absolutely scintillating in the offensive zone but absolutely cringe-worthy in the defensive zone.  I don’t know how many times he gives away the puck or can’t get it out but he is definitely the worst of the Jets forwards.         

10. Jets:  Kyle Connor and Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers have sure found some nice chemistry together and Paul Stastny compliments them quite nicely as well.  I’m not sure I would mess with this line when the re-shuffle starts.  

See the source image

11. Jets:  I’ve watched 5 out of the 8 Manitoba Moose games his season and I’m not sure what the Jets are waiting for because Ville Heinola is NHL ready and Dylan Samberg isn’t far behind.  I’ve always been impressed with Heinola but I really like Samberg.    

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:

Who is the Winnipeg Jets best forward?

View Results

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14. Jets:  I thought Sami Niku played very well in his two games against the Habs last week.  His puck moving ability and his breakouts were very good and I hope he gets into more games in the future.    

15. Jets:  Schedule

16. Jets:  There are rumours the Winnipeg Jets are in the market for a right-shot defenceman and Brandon Montour’s name keeps popping up.  There was a time where Montour was considered a sure-fire top-four defenceman.  I would take a long, hard look at acquiring him if I were Chevy.   

FYI:  Brandon Montour makes $3,850,000 this season and next season he becomes a UFA.  

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 23.40% up from 22.80% last week.
  • PK: 2nd at 80.00 down from 80.40% last week. 
  • FO: 5th at 49 .50 up from 48.70% last week … Jets faceoffs are still weak in special team situations.

18. Jets:  Why isn’t Dylan DeMelo playing with Josh Morrissey?

19. Goaltending:

  • Conner Hellebuyck:  10-5-1 … 2.56 GAA … .918 SV% 
  • Laurent Brossoit:  3-1-0 … 2.24 GAA … .935 SV%

20. Jets:  Paul Maurice is constantly bombarded on Twitter for a myriad of reasons and sometimes deservedly so and I occasionally wonder myself if the Jets win because of him or in spite of him?  (see #5)  Discuss amongst yourselves.     

*

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:

winnipeghockeytalk@gmail.com

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 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.           

*

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:

winnipeghockeytalk@gmail.com

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: Jan. 18

January 18, 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 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.  

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:

11. Jets:  It is too bad but I think we may have seen the last of Sami Niku. 

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:  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.  

*

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:

winnipeghockeytalk@gmail.com

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 Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Why The Winnipeg Jets Were Winners On Deadline Day

February 25, 2020 by

The Jets stood pat and did nothing at the NHL Trade Deadline — but is that really a bad thing?

On the weekend, I wrote an article where I said I suspected the Jets might be buyers at the deadline and listed five players I thought they should go after.  Two of those five players ended up being moved, but neither of them to Winnipeg.  In fact, the Jets didn’t make a single move.  But was it really wise to do NOTHING when you’re a hockey club on the cusp of making the playoffs?  Perhaps some added players can push you into the playoffs?  Once you’re at the dance, can’t anything happen? While this is all true, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff made the right decision to stay idle on Monday. [Read more…]

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

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