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Hellebuyck On Jets Window: "Time Is Running Out"

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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.

Winnipeg Jets Place Sami Niku On Unconditional Waivers

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Sep 21: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Niku has cleared waivers. He can now have his contract terminated and become a free agent.

Sep 20: Somewhat surprisingly, the Winnipeg Jets have placed Sami Niku on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a mutual contract termination, according to CapFriendly. Niku was heading into the second season of a two-year one-way contract he signed in 2020 that carried an average annual value of $725K. That entire cap hit will come off the books with the termination and Niku will become an unrestricted free agent.

While usually these terminations are followed by a contract overseas, it does not appear to be the case for Niku. Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star tweets that Niku is hoping for a fresh start with another NHL organization and Europe is not his current focus. It’s understandable that the 24-year-old defenseman believes he can play at the highest level, given his dominance of the AHL and 54 games in the NHL.

Despite that early experience, it seemed obvious that Niku was not going to get regular playing time with the Jets this season after the team brought in several new options on the back end. Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon have joined the group, while Logan Stanley, Dylan Samberg, and Ville Heinola all represent young options that have passed him on the organizational depth chart. Niku played just six games for the Jets this season.

A seventh-round pick in 2015, Niku’s stock skyrocketed in the next few years, as he established himself as a top prospect in Finland. He found success at the World Juniors, winning a gold medal in 2016, found regular playing time in Liiga, the highest level of Finnish hockey, and then won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s best defenseman in an outstanding rookie season in North America. That 2017-18 campaign, when Niku registered 54 points in 76 games for the Manitoba Moose, earned him a one-game call-up with the Jets and a regular role the following season. Since then things haven’t gone as smoothly, but there is still a lot of upside in the smooth-skating defender.

Of course, this is basically just giving Niku a chance to pick his next team. If the Jets had tried to send him down this season he would have required waivers, meaning any team in the league could have claimed him for that $725K cap hit (actually lower than the league minimum this season). A contract termination will allow him to negotiate with whoever he wants and find a spot where he can receive NHL minutes, if available. For teams looking for young assets, there are certainly worse gambles to take.

Joona Luoto Placed On Unconditional Waivers

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Sep 14: Luoto’s contract has been terminated and he is no longer a member of the Jets organization.

Sep 13: The Winnipeg Jets have placed Joona Luoto on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. Luoto had one year left on his entry-level deal but spent all of last season either in Europe or the minor leagues. Termination of his deal will make him an unrestricted free agent.

Still just 23, Luoto actually played in 16 games for the Jets during the 2019-20 season after signing out of Finland. At the time of the deal, he was an undrafted free agent who had been a champion overseas and represented some size for the Jets’ bottom-six. After failing to score a single goal in that first North American season though–in his 16 games in the NHL and his 18 with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL–it seemed inevitable that he would end up falling down the Winnipeg depth chart.

Now, after spending half of last season with HIFK, a return to Finland seems likely. The 6’3″ forward had two goals and four points in 11 games for the Moose in 2020-21, but a return to the NHL was driving further away. The termination will also free up a contract slot for the Jets, though they already had quite a few free spots.

Winnipeg Jets Need To Make Changes To Be Cap-Compliant

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The Winnipeg Jets are a team looking to improve after a couple of subpar regular seasons. Most of their shortcomings have been due to the team’s defense after unexpectedly losing Dustin Byfuglien after the 2018-19 season. Winnipeg made a flurry of moves to address that issue this offseason, acquiring Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon to replace Derek Forbort and Tucker Poolman, both of those replacements being undeniable upgrades. While the team looks poised to have more success than in the past few seasons.

They brought Paul Stastny back into the fold on a one-year, $3.75MM deal to help continue to solidify their top-six forward group. But one long-time important piece won’t be returning to Winnipeg this season — Bryan Little. Little suffered a concussion and ruptured eardrum after playing just seven games in 2019-20, and it’s unlikely that the longtime Thrashers/Jets forward suits up ever again. Instead, his $5.3MM cap hit will go on long-term injured reserve for yet another season.

Still, that maximum of $5.3MM as a cap cushion isn’t enough for Winnipeg right now, as they currently sit at $5.8MM over the cap with a full roster. While Winnipeg could send just one forward down to become cap-compliant, it leaves them with very little wiggle room throughout the season in case of injury and hinders their flexibility at the trade deadline.

The most likely short-term solution is to send forward David Gustafsson to Manitoba. He’s one of only two players who aren’t waiver-eligible on the Winnipeg active roster. But after scoring 19 points in 22 AHL games last year, he’ll likely push for an NHL role throughout the season. They also could opt to send defender Sami Niku down to the minors, as his tenure with the club hasn’t gone very smoothly, but risk losing him on waivers to a team willing to take a chance on his development. They’ve tried to deal Niku in the past with no takers, as teams likely anticipate that he’ll be available for them to select on the waiver wire at some point in the future.

There are other names, such as Dominic Toninato and Jansen Harkins, that could see some time in the AHL as a short-term solution to Winnipeg’s salary cap situation. The reality stands that Winnipeg likely needs to make an additional move to create some cap flexibility for a team that needs it to be a contender this year.

All cap figures courtesy of CapFriendly.

Overseas Notes: Sorensen, Josefson, AIK

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2020-21 was a season to forget for Marcus Sorensen. After recording 30 points in 80 games in 2018-19, Sorensen looked like he was emerging as a two-way threat for the San Jose Sharks. However, he followed that up with only 18 points and a -12 rating in 66 games in 2019-20. Sorensen was looking to get back on track this past season, but instead the decline continued. Sorensen recorded just five points and was a minus player yet again in 29 games with the Sharks. Unsurprisingly, it has been a quiet summer on the NHL market for Sorensen. However, he may have found a good option back home in Sweden. Swedish source Afton Bladet reports that the SHL’s Djurgardens IF is closing in on signing Sorensen to a long-term deal. The 29-year-old has been offered a four-year contract worth $12MM Krona ($1.44MM US). Sorensen was a prolific scorer for Djurgardens for several years before leaving for the NHL and the club hopes he still has gas left in the tank.

  • Fueling the pursuit of Sorenson is the indefinite loss of former NHLer Jacob Josefson from the Djurgardens roster. Afton Bladet notes that Josefson has been struggling with post-concussion symptoms since this past spring and that a recent resurgence has sidelined him without any certain timeline for a return. Josefson, 30, has been Djurgardens’ captain for the past four years since leaving the NHL, not to mention one of their best players. If he isn’t available this season, Sorensen will be asked to step in and take on that leading role. The hope is that Josefson, who played eight seasons in the NHL with New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres, will be back on the ice before too long.
  • Elsewhere in Sweden, the Allsvenskan’s AIK is loading up with NHL prospect talent. On consecutive days, he club has announced loan agreements to bring in standouts from the 2020 NHL Draft for the upcoming season. Winnipeg Jets second-round pick Daniel Torgersson is on his way from Frolunda HC, while Anaheim Ducks fourth-rounder Thimo Nickl arrives from Rogle BK. Torgersson, a big power forward, was nearly a point per game player at the junior level last year and played briefly in the SHL. Nickl, a rangy, two-way defenseman, played in the QMJHL two years ago and held his own in the pros this past season between the SHL and Allsvenskan. The 19-year-olds will provide a major boost to AIK before they potentially look to join their respective NHL teams next year.

Snapshots: Crosby, Morrissey, Cech

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Will Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby be Captain Canada once more this year? The Athletic’s Rob Rossi believes that Hockey Canada has already tipped their hand prior to an official announcement. Rossi notes that as the organization begins to promote the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Crosby has been participating in commercial shoots, print ad shoots, and today an actual in-person promotional appearance with the “C” on his jersey. Now, Crosby did serve as the captain in his last appearance at the Olympics with Canada in 2014, which could explain the “C”. However, it is also just as much evidence that he could serve as captain again, especially he also captained the 2015 World Championship team and 2017 World Cup team in last two international appearance. One of the best all-time, it would be no surprise if Crosby remains Canada’s captain until his playing days are over. To this point, that role is not official for the 2022 Winter Games, but all signs point in that direction.

  • Mike McIntryre of the Winnipeg Free Press writes that perhaps Jets fans should lighten up on their criticism of top defenseman Josh Morrissey. Morrissey is coming off of a disappointing 2020-21 season after signing a lucrative long-term deal last off-season, leading many to call the blue liner out for taking his foot off the pedal now that he has his money. However, that may not be the situation at all. Morrissey’s father recently passed away from brain cancer and it was revealed that Morrisey was battling with that difficult personal issue all season. While professional athletes are expected to perform regardless of off-ice/field problems, it is only human for those things to weigh on them. Morrissey is a hard-working, two-way defenseman who has been a positive player that excels in all three zones for every season up until this past campaign. There is no reason to believe that the 26-year-old won’t bounce back this year, especially with the Jets bringing in some extra support on the blue line in Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon.
  • Former all-world soccer goalkeeper Petr Cech is back for another run at hockey. After retiring from soccer, Cech made a highly-publicized transition to hockey in 2019-20, signing with the Guildford Phoenix of the NIHL second-tier league in England while concurrently working as an advisor to his long-time Premier League soccer club Chelsea. Cech played in six games with the Phoenix, recording two shutouts and a .934 save percentage – not bad for a 37-year-old rookie. After a year off, Cech is ready to get back in net (on the ice). The Phoenix have announced that they have signed Cech to a one-year contract as he continues to play out his lifelong dream of playing hockey, even after a historic career in soccer. Cech will remain employed by Chelsea in the meantime as well. The legend of the star Czech athlete continues to grow.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Winnipeg Jets

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2021-22 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Winnipeg Jets

Current Cap Hit: $87,297,979 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F David Gustafsson (one year, $818K)
D Ville Heinola (three years, $863K)
F Kristian Vesalainen (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses:
Gustafsson: $57.5K
Vesalainen: $850K
Total: $907.5K

Vesalainen has yet to live up to his first-round draft billing but he spent most of last year up with Winnipeg either on the active roster or the taxi squad while also getting into four playoff contests.  Unless they need to fill his roster spot with a minimum-salaried player, he should have an opportunity at a full-time roster spot, albeit on the fourth line which won’t help his odds of reaching any of his incentives.  Gustafsson hardly played with Winnipeg last season but with the departure of many of their depth players, they’ll need to fill some of those spots from within which gives him an opportunity for a regular spot in the lineup.  Heinola is likely on the outside looking in to start the year but he has impressed in the minors and could push his way into a regular role as the season progresses.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Nathan Beaulieu ($1.25MM, UFA)
G Eric Comrie ($750K, RFA)
F Andrew Copp ($3.64MM, UFA)
F Pierre-Luc Dubois ($5MM, RFA)
F Jansen Harkins ($725K, RFA)
F Riley Nash ($750K, UFA)
D Sami Niku ($725K, RFA)
F Paul Stastny ($3.75MM, UFA)

Last season was one to forget for Dubois.  After settling for a two-year bridge deal, he very quickly played his way out of Columbus with the Jets parting with both Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic to bring him in, shoring up their center depth in the process.  However, he struggled relative to expectations with Winnipeg, notching just 20 points in 41 games and was quiet in the playoffs with just three assists in seven contests.  A year ago, it seemed like his 2022 contract was going to be the big one that pushed him comfortably past the $7MM AAV mark, especially with his qualifying offer being $6.65MM.  But if he doesn’t have a much-improved 2021-22 season, that qualifying offer may be his best-case scenario.

Copp is coming off a career year but basically was forced into taking the one-year deal earlier this month to keep Winnipeg as close to cap-compliant as possible.  A repeat performance should push his AAV over the $4MM mark.  Stastny stayed in the top six for most of last season with Dubois often lining up on the wing and his price tag is a little below market value for a top-six center, especially compared to some of the other deals out there.  He’ll be going year to year from here on out and the Jets may need to use his money to re-sign Copp next summer.  Nash and Harkins will be role players and with their cap structure, the spots they occupy will need to be filled by minimum-salary players down the road whether it’s those two or other options.

The two defensemen in this category appear to be the possible cap casualties to free up the little bit of extra space to get cap compliant once LTIR is factored in (more on that later).  Beaulieu can hold his own on the third pairing but his spot could be filled by someone cheaper.  Niku, on the other hand, has been in trade speculation for a couple of years now.  They don’t want to lose him on waivers but with such limited recent action (he played just six games last season), they may have to settle for that if something doesn’t materialize over the next couple of months.

Comrie has bounced around on waivers the last couple of years but has hardly seen any NHL action.  That will change next season as their cap situation necessitated a minimum-salaried backup and he will get the first shot at being that player.  A good showing would certainly bolster his case heading into his final arbitration-eligible year but at the same time, he could potentially price his way out of Winnipeg if he did well enough to earn a sizable jump.

Two Years Remaining

D Logan Stanley ($900K, RFA)
F Dominic Toninato ($750K, UFA)

You could basically put any minimum-salaried forward into Toninato’s slot and perhaps there’s a signing or waiver claim to come that pushes him out.  In the meantime, the fact he received a two-year deal last month that includes a one-way second year suggests Winnipeg believes he can lock down a regular spot on the roster.

Stanley really improved his stock last season, going from someone who looked like he’d be on the outside looking in at a spot in the lineup to a player who was in more often than not, albeit in a limited role.  The small track record allowed the Jets to get him on a cheap bridge deal, one that won’t be very hard to out-perform.

Three Years Remaining

D Dylan DeMelo ($3MM, UFA)
D Brenden Dillon ($3.9MM, UFA)
G Connor Hellebuyck ($6.166MM, UFA)
F Bryan Little ($5.292MM, UFA)
F Mark Scheifele ($6.125MM, UFA)
F Blake Wheeler ($8.25MM, UFA)

Let’s get Little out of the way first.  He hasn’t played since early November 2019 and is still trying to recover from a perforated eardrum.  GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has suggested the expectation is that Little won’t be able to return.  He’ll head for LTIR, allowing Winnipeg to exceed the cap by up to his full cap hit (the cost of their active roster at the time of placement will determine exactly how much they can go over).

Very quietly, Scheifele has performed at a point-per-game average or better for each of the last five seasons, becoming a legitimate star in the process.  Considering centers with similar production have been getting considerably more, this is a contract that is well below market value.  The same can’t be said for Wheeler.  He still has been productive but his per-game output has declined the last couple of years and as he’s about to turn 35, there probably isn’t another 91-point season in his future.

Dillon was brought in just before free agency to shore up a back end that had yet to really recover from the 2019 exodus.  As long as he can log 20 minutes a game on the second pairing and provide his usual physicality and strong defensive presence, he’ll provide good value on his deal.  DeMelo is someone that they hoped could play on the second pairing last year when they signed him to that contract but he is better off on the third pairing with more sheltered minutes.  That makes the deal an overpayment which is why he was made available to Seattle in expansion.

Hellebuyck has been the NHL’s workhorse goaltender over the last four years.  He has faced the most shots in each of the last three seasons and led the league in minutes played four years ago.  He makes a bit more than most starters but the small premium is certainly justified and it allowed the Jets to go with a low-cost backup in Comrie knowing that he will once again handle a significantly higher workload than most starters will.

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Evgeny Svechnikov Signs AHL Contract

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The Manitoba Moose have signed free agent forward Evgeny Svechnikov to a one-year, AHL contract for the 2021-22 season. While that may be surprising to many after his history in the NHL, there’s more to the story. Sportsnet contributor Ken Wiebe reports that Svechnikov will attend Winnipeg Jets training camp on a professional tryout and will be given an opportunity to earn a two-way NHL contract should he prove healthy enough.

Svechnikov, 24, was not tendered a qualifying offer from the Detroit Red Wings earlier this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. That was a far fall for a player selected 19th overall in 2015, but a not totally unexpected one after so many injuries. The young forward has just 41 games of NHL experience under his belt, 21 of which came this past year, and has scored just five goals so far.

That doesn’t mean his career is over though. If Svechnikov can prove he’s fully healthy and ready to contribute, there’s no doubt that his talent level deserves an NHL contract. If he doesn’t earn that NHL deal and instead spends the year with the Moose, he’ll still be a very interesting player to watch. Should he stay healthy and productive, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent again next offseason looking for a new deal and new opportunity.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Dmitry Kuzmin

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The Winnipeg Jets have inked one of their 2021 draft picks, signing Dmitry Kuzmin to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $866,667 at the NHL level.

Kuzmin, 18, was the 82nd overall pick in this year’s draft, selected after a strong showing at the professional level in Belarus. The young defenseman recorded 12 points in 46 games, while also playing well at the U18 World Juniors. It will be interesting to see if the Jets leave him overseas to continue his development, or perhaps bring him to North America to get some action in the CHL. Kuzmin was selected by the Flint Firebirds in the CHL Import Draft earlier this year.

Whether he’s in Europe or the junior ranks on this side of the pond, Kuzmin won’t burn the first year of his entry-level deal in 2021-22. He’s joining what is suddenly a pretty long depth chart on defense in Winnipeg, with five NHL players signed for at least three years and a good number of prospects pushing for playing time.

Andrew Copp Would Have Preferred Long-Term Deal Before Cap Situation Forced One-Year Pact

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  • Jets forward Andrew Copp acknowledged to reporters, including Postmedia’s Paul Friesen, that his preference was to sign a long-term deal. However, Winnipeg’s cap situation after some of their additions on the back end basically forced their hand and the two sides settled on a one-year, $3.64MM pact that will walk the 27-year-old to unrestricted free agency next summer.  With roughly $63.5MM tied up in a dozen players for 2022-23 per CapFriendly (excluding Bryan Little’s LTIR-bound contract), a strong showing next season could result in Copp playing his way out of Winnipeg entirely.

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