With the trade deadline now just weeks away, we’re going to start taking a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?
It has been a bit of a strange season for the Winnipeg Jets. Despite being one of the highest scoring teams in the league, they find themselves out of a playoff spot in large part due to some below average goaltending. However, they’re still somewhat close enough to a Wild Card berth that they could go either way when it comes to the trade deadline.
Record
26-29-5 record, 5th in Central Division
Deadline Status
Likely seller but could also be a buyer depending on the position they’re acquiring.
Deadline Cap Space
$25.4MM – full-season cap hit, 43/50 contracts
Draft Picks
2017: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, WPG 3rd, WPG 4th, WPG 5th, WPG 6th, MTL 7th, WPG 7th
2018: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, WPG 3rd, WPG 4th, WPG 5th, WPG 6th, WPG 7th
Trade Chips
Considering where they are in the standings, it’s fair to think that they will be open to moving out at least most of their pending unrestricted free agents, especially up front where they have strong depth with youngsters such as recent first rounders Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic who aren’t far away from being NHL ready.
They also have a decision to make regarding winger/center Mathieu Perreault. While they gave him a contract extension prior to the start of the season, he is a candidate to be left unprotected in June’s expansion draft. With that in mind, do they look to move him by the beginning of March and ensure they get something for him in return?
Five Players To Watch For: RW Scott Kosmachuk, G Ondrej Pavelec, LW Mathieu Perreault, D Paul Postma, RW Drew Stafford
Team Needs
1) Goaltending Upgrade – While the Jets were certainly hoping Connor Hellebuyck would be able to shoulder the number one job this season, he has been consistently inconsistent between the pipes which isn’t all that uncommon for a young goalie. Michael Hutchinson has struggled in a backup role and while Pavelec picked up a few wins after being summoned from the minors, he hasn’t exactly played like a starter either (and is currently on injured reserve).
Winnipeg remains hopeful that Hellebuyck can be their starter of the future but he’s not a true number one now. If they intend to compete for a playoff spot this season, they would do well to bring in a more established starter with a shorter term remaining on his contract (either an expiring deal or someone with a year left after this one). Even if they’re looking towards next season, this would make some sense as considering how many goalies are believed to be available, it would be a great time for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to try to capitalize on what should be a buyers’ market at that position.
2) Third Pairing Blueline Help – While the Jets are thought of as a team with a lot of defensive depth, that isn’t exactly the case at the moment. Head coach Paul Maurice has leaned heavily on their top two pairings and have only used third pairing players like Postma, Ben Chiarot, and Mark Stuart in limited situations. The fact that Tyler Myers recently underwent surgery and is set to be out until mid-to-late March at the earliest means that this is set to continue for a while yet.
If Winnipeg is going to push for the playoffs, adding someone who can take some pressure off of their top blueliners would be a very welcome pickup. Even if they don’t envision making the postseason this year, it’s still an area that they should be looking to address for next year. If they do opt to sell, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to add a young defender who could push for a depth spot next season instead of just looking for draft picks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
I really thought this was the year the Jets would take that step into perennial playoff contender but they’ve just been too inconsistent. I believe it was a mistake for them to just outright hand the starter’s job to Hellebuyck. They really should have prioritized a veteran 1B goalie to mentor and guide him. But instead they went with a journeyman backup and a team castoff.