The Winnipeg Jets have a deep forward unit, a revamped defense, and one of the best goaltenders in the world, yet they are still sometimes left out of the conversation when it comes to contenders for the 2022 Stanley Cup. Perhaps that’s because they’re from a market in snowy Manitoba that has less than a million people, but it’s also because this same core has disappointed over each of the last three postseasons, reaching the second round just once only to be swept out by the Montreal Canadiens.
If you think that the window may be closing on the key group in Winnipeg, you’re not alone–they know it too. Connor Hellebuyck told reporters today including Murat Ates of The Athletic that the Jets are “not getting any younger” and their “time is running out.” Captain Blake Wheeler will play this season at age-35, while he, Mark Scheifele, and Hellebuyck all have only three years remaining on their respective contracts. The rest of the roster isn’t as young as it once was and there’s no guarantee they are going to be better in the years to come than they are right now. There’s optimism that the Jets can be one of the best teams in the league this season, but they also have some pressure to perform while the clock is ticking.
- When Cale Makar graced the ice today in a non-contact sweater, Colorado Avalanche fans panicked wondering what happened to their star defenseman. Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Peter Baugh of The Athletic that Makar had a procedure in the offseason and the team will take their time getting him up to speed. Bednar didn’t seem concerned, explaining that Makar would be “good to go” soon enough.
- Josh Archibald has been confirmed as the Edmonton Oilers player that has declined the COVID-19 vaccination, meaning he may miss 30 or more games this season depending on travel restrictions. Archibald wasn’t on the ice today as he finished a quarantine, but is expected to join his teammates tomorrow. Duncan Keith, who was recently vaccinated in the U.S., will not participate in camp until next Friday as he finishes his own quarantine.
man, its rough to be a US player unvaccinated, but playing most of your games in Canada? prohibitive.
Well, lucky for him, he’ll be playing in Bakersfield, CA.
who is the Unvaxxed US player playing most of his games in Canada? Josh Archibald is from Regina Saskatchewan if referring to him. And Archibald is on a 1 way contract and was one of their more reliable bottom 6 guys last year, he won’t be sent to Bako. It doesn’t benefit them any to do so.
No way he plays in Bakersfield. He’s an elite 4th liner.
“There is still some time for him. People have different things they’re concerned about,” Tippett said. “You have to respect that concern, but … vaccinations are part of the world now.
“We’ll get him up to speed, and then as an organization we’ll figure out where it’s going to go.”
That “and then as an organization we’ll figure out where it’s gong to go” says he might be playing in Bakersfield.
I don’t claim to follow the Oilers too closely, but Mark Spector does…
“As we said in our Wednesday column, Archibald is a useful player who the Oilers would like to have on their team. But if he won’t roll up his sleeve, he’ll likely not be part of the Oilers come Opening Night.”
Pretty sure he meant that the rules impact players on Canadian based teams more than US teams because of the border issues, quarantine rather than any reference to nation of origin.
Read more of Spectors columns. He is a staunch anti-anti-vaxxer. And if you read the comments on most of Spec’s stories, he isn’t well liked by the Oilers fan community.
Archibald is not an elite player, but is a very good bottom 6 player. Replaceable yes, but still very useful. Spec is the only guy suggesting Archie will be sent to Bakersfield if he won’t get the vaccine. It is his opinion and he is allowed to have that, but it seems like he has a fairly stubborn take on the opinion as he praises Keith for reluctantly getting the jab last minute and Smith for reluctantly getting it too.
Besides, keeping Archibald on the active roster allows them to bank some cap space when they need to suspend him due to covid protocols for the 40% of the season they’re suggesting he could be forced to miss. It’s a Tampa Bay type of manipulation to a 10th of the savings.
There’s a history with the “elite” player narrative I was taking a jab at ol’ Josho and I’m certain he too knew I was being facetious but all in fun haha.
The Jets might not be the top Stanley Cup contender this year, but I do think they are the contender with the fewest question marks.
Hellebuyck is great and the forward group is terrific. D is OK.
The Lightning lost a lot and should run out of steam. The Avs have a goalie who never stays healthy. A bunch of teams have goalie questions (Leafs, Canes, etc.).
Unless Jack Campbell or the Canucks young core take a huge step forward, the Jets are Canada’s best hope this year.
Clearly the Oilers did not ask their players if they planned to get vaccinated before releasing their protected list. It seems odd to protect a player in the expansion who likely won’t be able to play.
It’s quite amazing the dude won’t get the vaccination in a province where the ICU’s are overflowing and they are trying to send people to other province ICU’s.
Funny I live here and the ICUs are not overflowing. Just gonna throw that out there. Shortage of nurses yes certainly.
Interesting.
CBC news quotes Dr. Verna Yiu “We have never, ever had that number of total patients in ICU before…” Sounds like capacity is becoming an issue.
I’m in Van, but even if in AB I would not walk into a hospital to verify any of this. Avoid the places at the best of times… especially ones near the illustrious downtown lower east side.
Man I watched the news for the first time in like 4 months last night. They are fear-mongering hard. I’m not saying there isn’t truth in some news stories but be selective. They throw out these big bold numbers and everybody is panicking and they don’t explain anything. Just stats. And we all know how stats can be misused. I will say this if didn’t know there was a pandemic going on I wouldn’t know there’s a pandemic going on. I don’t know if that makes sense but if it wasn’t for media I guess is what I’m saying. Like judging by what the news was saying I should know like 100 sick people and at least 10 should have died. I don’t know one person who is sick or one who knows someone who is sick. This is just my experience no interpretation no narrative just my subjective experience. Don’t let the media overwhelm you. Take it with caution, no need to be reckless but take it also with a grain of salt.
I do filter and understand there is fear mongering. I read a few news sites, including out of country.
The government and then by extension media hit the panic button because if they have to go into a triage situation or turn people away from the ICU because it’s at capacity they will face insane backlash and the biggest fear…. liability!!!
The reported percentages seem off, but I’ve have some people around my work get Covid, so it’s happening. One of my students had to drop their program because they likely had long Covid and just could not get the work done.
I didn’t want to risk my career, so stab me if you will was my thinking
If I was making anywhere close to what an NHL player gets, I cannot imagine holding out. Shit, what I could do with a few hundred thousand (retire early!).
For sure they do! Although Alberta’s government is to blame for the shortage of nurses. At the start of the pandemic they were planning on cutting a bunch of nursing jobs if you can believe that. As if we were overloaded with nurses! SMH. Politics is brutal. Whatever looks good at the time and fits the party’s agenda. I feel for the nurses here, they are being run into the ground working. I’d take just the forfeited part of Archibald’s salary haha cmon Katz you don’t need it!
I am originally from Edmonton AB. So I know of the “cutting culture” to provincial budgets.
Even BC is suffering Nurse shortages in Northern regions where anti-vaxxing culture is strongest. Nobody wants to work in that climate and they are quitting/retiring/moving on to greener pastures.
Katz has money to burn. He keeps hiring old Oilers boys into un-needed positions. I’ve heard some interesting scuttlebutt like he would have Hall and Eberle over to his house to hang out with his carrot-top son… who always appears on stage at the draft. So unprofessional.