The Winnipeg Jets will be facing a roster crunch when the roster freeze lifts. With center Shawn Matthias and right winger Joel Armia both recently returning to the lineup, their roster now stands at 25 players, meaning two moves will need to be made to get back in compliance on December 28th.
Winnipeg has no fewer than six forwards who have waiver exemption but there’s a case to be made for all of them to stay up. Rookie right winger Patrik Laine is among the league leaders in goals and there’s no way he goes down. Left winger Nikolaj Ehlers has 29 points to sit third in team scoring so he’s another player guaranteed to stay up.
Rookie winger Brandon Tanev has been up with the team all season and while he hasn’t produced much offensively from the fourth line, he brings some grit to the lineup as he’s tied for the team lead in hits. He did, however, miss the last game with an unspecified injury. If he’s going to be out for a few more days, they could place him on injured reserve retroactive to the 22nd to buy them some time but that’s only a temporary solution.
As for the other three, center Nic Petan has spent the bulk of the season in the minors but has put up an impressive eight points in only 15 games and was flirting with top six ice time before he went down in late November. Left winger Marko Dano also didn’t start with the Jets but has been a regular since early November and sits tied for seventh in team scoring. That leaves center Andrew Copp who, like Dano, wasn’t up until early November and has played the bulk of the season; he also was a regular last year, playing in 77 games.
If they don’t want to send anyone down, there is also the trade route although as we’ve seen all season, finding the right fit in terms of players and salary cap hit is easier said than done.
One player who is believed to be on the block that could stand to benefit from a change of scenery is center Alexander Burmistrov. Last week, he voiced his frustration over his lack of playing time to Jason Bell of the Winnipeg Free Press:
“It’s tough, tough for me because I do not know why I’m not playing, you know. I never have a conversation with the coach, so he never tell[s] me why I’m not playing.”
While head coach Paul Maurice disagreed with the assertion that he doesn’t speak with Burmistrov, it’s hard to see the 25 year old staying with the team much longer. Last month, it was reported that the Jets were gauging interest for his services around the league and considering he has been scratched for the last three weeks despite the injuries, it doesn’t appear that there’s a spot for him to play anytime soon. He carries a cap hit of $1.55MM, high enough that the Jets would likely have to take a similar contract back or retain money to get a deal done. Given their current roster situation, perhaps it may help to facilitate a move sooner rather than later.
Whether it’s via a trade or a minor league demotion, the Jets are going to have to make a tough decision shortly on who to remove from their active roster. It’s a ‘problem’ that a lot of teams would probably like to have right now but it will be something to watch for when the roster freeze lifts on Wednesday.