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Kevin Cheveldayoff

Snapshots: Scheifele, Sharks, Kuzmenko

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Despite some ominous comments earlier in the week, it turns out that Winnipeg Jets star Mark Scheifele did not request a trade in his exit interview with GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Schiefele had expressed concern over the direction of the team after the Jets missed the playoffs this season, which raised some eyebrows in the media and across the league. Scheifele is signed through the next two seasons, so if he was unhappy enough with the situation, he would have had to request a trade, which likely would have occurred during his exit interview this week. Instead, the situation remains status quo in Winnipeg, at least for now. If the Jets, who have a lot of money tied up in long-term contracts, cannot find a way to improve the roster within their salary cap restrictions early this offseason, Scheifele’s position could change. The 29-year-old center has the ability and the contract to draw immense interest if he does hit the trade block this summer.

  • Friedman notes that another team who could be in the star trading business this offseason are the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks reportedly held preliminary trade discussions with multiple teams this season regarding Erik Karlsson, and those talks could continue over the summer. The Sharks need to first name a new general manager, for which a search is ongoing, but the expectation is that whoever the team hires will be directed to retool rather than rebuild. In order to get more competitive sooner rather than later, the Sharks need to add more high-end depth to their lineup and need more cap space to do so. Moving all or even part of Karlsson’s five remaining years at $11.5MM would help immensely and the trade return wouldn’t hurt either. However, is it realistic to expect the Sharks to find a team both willing and able to add Karlsson? Friedman suggests that Brent Burns, who has three years remaining at $8MM, might be easier to move and would still accomplish the task of redistributing a mass amount of cap space from the right side of the blue line to be used elsewhere in the lineup. The Sharks are also expected to evaluate their options with Marc-Edouard Vlasic this offseason, whose remaining four years at $7MM could prove impossible to move but could be bought out instead.
  • While the Jets and the Sharks will be looking for outside-the-box ways to improve this summer, neither team appears to be in the race for KHL free agent Andrei Kuzmenko. Friedman lists the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, and Vegas Golden Knights as the finalists for the Russian winger’s services. Kuzmenko, 26, initially drew interest from at least 20 NHL teams, but now that his KHL contract has expired as of May 1 and he has begun actual negotiations, the list has been trimmed considerably. Kuzmenko is coming off of a career year in the KHL, recording 20 goals and 53 points in 45 games for SKA St. Petersburg, plus another 14 points in 16 playoff games. While he would be brand new to the NHL and his international experience is somewhat limited as well, Kuzmenko could be an affordable impact forward right away next season.

Latest On Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets

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After the Winnipeg Jets announced a three-year extension with their long-time General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff this morning, Cheveldayoff spoke to the media to address the state of the Jets, including the status of of star forward Mark Scheifele. Cheveldayoff clarified that Scheifele has not asked for a trade, but mentioned that he was yet to have his exit interview with the forward and would be doing that later today, hoping to find some clarity (link). Recall yesterday, Scheifele himself spoke to the media, who questioned him on his future in Winnipeg. Scheifele reiterated his desire to stay in Winnipeg, but cautioned “I just have to know where this team is going and what the direction is.”

It’s not clear yet if Cheveldayoff and Scheifele did meet today, and if so, what the result of their conversation was, but the idea of the Jets trading their first ever draft pick is nothing short of noteworthy, and an intriguing proposal at that. The way Scheifele’s comments have been worded would make it sound as though he is set to become a UFA, however he is signed through 2023-24 at a very reasonable $6.125MM per season. Though Winnipeg is under no obligation to trade Scheifele if he does not see eye-to-eye with their future plans, if he does decide to move on from the team, it might be in their best interest to try to trade him with two seasons left on a very team-friendly contract than to see how the next two seasons play out.

After several playoff runs that ultimately did not yield a Stanley Cup, the Jets found themselves on the outside of the playoff picture for the first time since 2016-17 (excluding a loss in the 2020 Qualifying Round), and appear poised to make a few significant moves this offseason. The organization did find itself making changes already this season, with former Head Coach Paul Maurice stepping aside from his duties in December, and longtime Jets forward Andrew Copp being traded to the New York Rangers at the trade deadline.

Though changes are expected, the nature of that approach is up in the air, which appears to be Scheifele’s primary concern. On one hand, the Jets have had a successful run since the start of the 2017-18 season and have a roster full of stars including Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Blake Wheeler, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Josh Morrissey, and former Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck. They also have a promising group of young players and prospects, headlined by Cole Perfetti, Ville Heinola, and Chaz Lucius. There appears to be plenty of reason to continue this build while making some tweaks to get the group back on track next season.

On the other hand, this Jets core struggled this season and lost Copp. Wheeler, the team’s captain, will be 36 on opening night, Dubois is a RFA this offseason, and Scheifele and Hellebuyck are set to become UFAs after the 2023-24 season. With Connor and Morrissey signed long-term, and the team having a couple of assets in Scheifele and Hellebuyck that they can turn into draft picks and prospects to add to their already existing stockpile, a rebuild, whether quick or drawn out, could be a realistic option without completely ignoring the prime of Connor and Morrissey’s careers.

Turning the attention back to Scheifele, the interest in him should be expected to be nearly league-wide. Considering Scheifele’s affordable cap-hit for two more years and his year-to-year production, any team looking to improve right now would be in on him. Scheifele does have a modified no-trade clause, which permits him to submit a list of 10 teams he cannot be traded to, but that should still leave Winnipeg with an expansive market from which they can draw bids on their star player, maximizing their return.

Ultimately, the direction the franchise chooses to take could dictate what happens not only with Scheifele, but with some of their other stars. With the playoffs only beginning tonight, they will have a good two-and-a-half months to discuss their intentions and decide how they want to proceed.

Jets Agree To Three-Year Extension With Kevin Cheveldayoff

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While Winnipeg ended their season on a high note today with a victory over Seattle, it was a disappointing season overall for the Jets as they finished in sixth place in the Central Division while missing the playoffs by eight points.  However, despite the tough year, Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe reports that the team has signed GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to a three-year contract extension.

Cheveldayoff is the third-longest-tenured general manager in the NHL having joined the team back in September of 2011, putting him only behind Doug Armstrong (St. Louis) and David Poile (Nashville).  He has been the only GM the franchise has had since it relocated from Atlanta.

Over that time, Winnipeg has only reached the playoffs in five of eleven seasons, although most of those appearances have come in recent years; their streak of four consecutive postseasons came to an end this year.  Along the way, Cheveldayoff has built a strong core, anchored by goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, center Mark Scheifele, wingers Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers, and defenseman Josh Morrissey, among others.  But despite that core, they’ve only reached the Western Conference Final once and made it out of the first round twice.

The Jets underwent a big change midseason when head coach Paul Maurice surprisingly resigned, prompting Cheveldayoff to elevate Dave Lowry to the interim role.  It didn’t result in any improvement as the points percentage for both coaches were nearly identical, .534 for Maurice and .528 for Lowry.  Deciding Lowry’s future, as well as that of the rest of the coaching staff, figures to be at the top of the priority list over the coming days and weeks.

But determining whether or not the core needs another shakeup will also have to be on Cheveldayoff’s list.  He made one significant move last season when he moved Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic to Columbus for Pierre-Luc Dubois in an effort to shore up their depth down the middle.  Dubois, a pending RFA, had a nice season but it didn’t result in any extra team success.

Center Mark Scheifele has been a fixture in Winnipeg’s lineup since he was their first-ever draft pick (after moving) but his comments following the game suggested that his future with the team could be in question as well:

I’d love to be in Winnipeg, but I also have to see where this is all going and what direction this team is going in and I guess we’ll see this summer. I’m in the prime of my career. I still have so much to improve on too and I like where my game is at. I like the physical nature that my body is at. I’m only improving, I’m only getting better and I’m only going to be a better player next year than I was this year.

I just have to know where this team is going and what the direction is and what the changes are going to be, if any. I have to think about my career and what’s going to be best for me. Those are going to be…talks with my agents and everyone in my family and stuff like that and figure out what I really want. So, it will be a tough talk tomorrow.

If Cheveldayoff was to move the 29-year-old, there would be no shortage of interested teams although moving their top center would also open up a big hole down the middle.  He has two more years left on his deal with a team-friendly $6.125MM AAV.

The GM will also need to navigate a tight salary cap situation as the team already has around $16MM in cap room this summer, per CapFriendly, about half of which will need to be spent on a new deal for Dubois while they will need to sign several players to round out their roster.  There isn’t enough room to bring in another core player to bolster the team without moving one out so Cheveldayoff will have to think long and hard as to whether this group is good enough to contend in the West.  If not, some changes will need to come.

Cheveldayoff has done well enough in his tenure in Winnipeg to get this vote of confidence.  However, some big decisions lie ahead for him and the Jets.

NHL Will Not Discipline Kevin Cheveldayoff

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The NHL has announced that they will not be handing out any discipline to Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff for his role in the 2010 Brad Aldrich situation with the Chicago Blackhawks. Cheveldayoff was an assistant general manager with the Blackhawks at the time, and one of the men present in the now-infamous meeting that took place on May 23, 2010.

Commissioner Gary Bettman released the following statement:

While on some level, it would be easiest to paint everyone with any association to this terrible matter with the same broad brush, I believe that fundamental fairness requires a more in-depth analysis of the role of each person. Kevin Cheveldayoff was not a member of the Blackhawks senior leadership team in 2010, and I cannot, therefore, assign to him responsibility for the Club’s actions, or inactions. He provided a full account of his degree of involvement in the matter, which was limited exclusively to his attendance at a single meeting, and I found him to be extremely forthcoming and credible in our discussion.

The investigative report, released earlier this week, has so far been followed by the resignations of Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac, and Joel Quenneville.

Cheveldayoff released the following statement through the Jets:

First and most importantly, I want to express my support of and empathy for Kyle Beach and all he has had to endure since 2010. He was incredibly brave coming forward to tell his story. We can all use his courage as an inspiration to do a better job of making hockey a safer space for anyone who wants to play the game.

Further, I want to express my gratitude to the National Hockey League for the opportunity to meet with Commissioner Gary Bettman, in person, and directly share my role in and recollection of events while I was Assistant GM of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010. 

Cheveldayoff is returning to Winnipeg and will speak with the media on Monday.

Snapshots: Jets, Tarasenko, Buchnevich

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The Winnipeg Jets will be in the market for defensemen when the trade freeze is lifted in a few days. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke with NHL.com, explaining that the team is looking to improve the back end through trades or free agency, even though they have several young defensemen in the system already. Jordie Benn, Derek Forbort, and Tucker Poolman are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents this summer.

There’s also the possibility that Dylan DeMelo is selected by the Seattle Kraken, leaving the Jets even more shorthanded. Currently, the team has just DeMelo, Josh Morrissey, Nathan Beaulieu, and Sami Niku under one-way contracts for next season. Logan Stanley and Neal Pionk are both restricted free agents, while Ville Heinola, who could be in line for a full-time role, is still on his entry-level contract. Even if that whole group was brought back, it simply wasn’t good enough to help the Jets really contend for the Stanley Cup, meaning a more substantial change could be in order.

  • The Seattle Kraken are reportedly considering a select-and-trade with St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko, but Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweets that it could get even more complicated than that. Strickland suggests a third team could be involved in any Tarasenko trade were the Kraken to choose him. That would open up the door for even more salary retention, potentially giving someone the 29-year-old forward at a bargain. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic spoke with the doctor that performed Tarasenko’s most recent shoulder surgery, who explained that it is “rock solid” and suggested the sniper would be at full strength for the start of the 2021-22 season.
  • Strickland also tweets that the Blues have serious interest in New York Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich, who is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this summer for the final time. Buchnevich is now 26, just a year away from UFA status, and appeared on Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff’s list of trade targets last week, with the scribe writing that Rangers GM Chris Drury has “engaged in conversation about the possibility of moving” him. With 20 goals and 48 points in 54 games this season, Buchnevich has blossomed into a true top-six option that could potentially replace some of the outgoing firepower in St. Louis. It’s not just Tarasenko that could be leaving the Blues, as Mike Hoffman, Jaden Schwartz and Tyler Bozak are also all pending UFAs.

Snapshots: Jets, Americans, Kallionkieli

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The Winnipeg Jets are in action tonight against the Montreal Canadiens after going 7-2-1 in their last 10, climbing all the way to second in the North Division. One might assume that the team is looking to supplement their imposing roster in a trade and do it soon, given the two-week quarantine any newcomer will require if he comes from a U.S.-based team.

Speaking with reporters including Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff explained that he is willing to make another deal to improve the club if the fit is right, regardless of COVID protocols and the wait. Mattias Ekholm has been linked to the Jets in recent days, but Cheveldayoff wouldn’t comment on any specifics.

  • The Rochester Americans are still not playing thanks to at least one positive coronavirus test and have announced a new postponement for this week. The team’s Wednesday game against the Syracuse Crunch has been postponed with no current makeup date, while Saturday’s game that was already pushed will now be played on May 3. The Americans players continue to be unavailable for the Buffalo Sabres as they stay in the protocol.
  • The Henderson Silver Knights have a new player to use after Marcus Kallionkielli was reassigned from Finland to the AHL today. The 19-year-old was a fifth-round pick in 2019 and spent part of last season with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. In nine games with HIFK’s junior squad in Finland this season, he recorded five points.

Trevor Lewis Signs With Winnipeg Jets

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3:10pm: Lewis has officially agreed to terms on a one-year deal that will carry a salary of $750K.

12:45pm: Attending training camp on a professional tryout has proven successful for another veteran player. When speaking with reporters including Murat Ates of The Athletic, Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff confirmed that the team will be announcing a contract for Trevor Lewis, once they can move Bryan Little to long-term injured reserve later today. Lewis had been in camp on a PTO but almost immediately seemed to secure a roster spot with his versatility and hard work.

Now 34, it was surprising to see Lewis even have to agree to a tryout after a decade in the NHL. His game has never been about lighting up the score sheet with points, but instead providing capable defense and support to his flashier linemates. In parts of 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, he recorded more than 20 points on just three occasions and had just 12 in 56 games last season.

He’ll fit into the Jets bottom-six as a player who can line up just about anywhere. Bringing two Stanley Cup rings and plenty of leadership he’ll be a welcome addition in a year where every team will be facing the same opponents on a regular basis. Lewis isn’t expected to earn much more than the league minimum on a one-year deal, though those details have not been officially announced just yet.

Jets RFA Jack Roslovic Won’t Attend Camp Without New Contract, Seeking Trade

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The Winnipeg Jets and restricted free agent Jack Roslovic have been unable to come to terms on a new contract and the young forward will not be in attendance when training camp opens as a result. Claude Lemieux, Roslovic’s agent, tells Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press that Roslovic continues to wait for either a trade or a suitable contract offer. Without either, his season remains on pause.

Roslovic, 23, is coming off of a career season with 12 goals and 29 points, a top-six mark among Jets forwards on both counts. Yet, that hasn’t produced any more job security for Roslovic. The versatile forward continues to be penciled in for a bottom-six role, has been the long-time subject of trade talks, and has not received a long-term offer to his liking. For some time now, it has been reported that Roslovic has bought in to his own trade speculation and lack of an identifiable role and would prefer a change of scenery. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun even relays that a trade has been formally requested.

It is now up to GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to make the call on Roslovic’s future. He can trade the young forward or he can finally make an offer that Roslovic and his side feel is fair. Even for a promising player who can play center and wing and has proven his ability to score without much power play opportunity, Roslovic’s trade value should be low right now given the cap crunch climate and the publicized contract standoff. Considering the injury absence of Bryan Little and David Gustafsson as well, at least to begin the year, the Jets could use the depth, making a short-term resolution with Roslovic the best option unless an ideal trade can be found.

In the meantime, Roslovic remains at home in the U.S., which raises other issues. If and when a new deal is reached, Roslovic would need to travel to Winnipeg and then quarantine for seven days. That gives the Jets a week at most to get Roslovic under contract and through quarantine without him missing regular season games. Quarantine rules also impact the feasibility of a trade, especially the longer that Cheveldayoff waits to pull the trigger. One way or another, the Jets need to solve this situation as quickly as they can.

Doctors Recommend Bryan Little Not Play In 2020-21

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On a day of exciting news all around the league, this comes as quite the depressing story. Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has told reporters that Bryan Little has been instructed by doctors not to play this season. While Cheveldayoff did not comment on whether that means Little’s career is over, it doesn’t bode well for the veteran forward.

Little, 32, played just seven games in 2019-20. On November 5th, 2019, he was struck in the side of the head by a Nikolaj Ehlers slapshot and skated off the ice while holding a bloody towel to his head. Little had already dealt with a concussion earlier that year, but that game against the New Jersey Devils ended up being his last.

Not only was Little a consistent performer on the ice that had spent his entire career with the Jets/Thrashers organization, but he was a beloved teammate and a tireless worker in the community. That dedication to the organization was mentioned by Cheveldayoff today, when he called Little a “special person.”

If it is the end for Little, he’ll leave the league with 521 points in 843 career games, all for the one organization. He is still signed for four more seasons, so his contract will be moved to long-term injured reserve, making it technically possible for a return, but obviously, that’s a decision that won’t be made for some time.

The Jets meanwhile will get some cap relief from moving Little’s $5.3MM hit to LTIR, but they’d rather have the player back. It does help them fit in the recently acquired Paul Stastny, who slots in at on their second-line, a role that Little has occupied in the past.

West Notes: Kings, DeMelo, Pospisil

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The New York Rangers were the big winners at the NHL Draft Lottery, meaning the Westen Conference won’t have to deal with Alexis Lafreniere on a regular basis, right? Well, as Lisa Dillman examined for The Athletic, if the Los Angeles Kings or another team with a high pick came calling the Rangers would have to listen. The Kings have arguably the best prospect group in the entire NHL already and could potentially create quite a package of assets for the first overall selection.

While the Kings have that impressive prospect base and several high picks, the Ottawa Senators are primed to make a huge splash at this year’s draft as well. Not only do they hold the third and fifth overall selections, but they also have an incredible seven picks in the first two rounds of this year’s draft. Nine if you extend that to the third round, and 13 in total for 2020.

  • Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff liked the fit for trade deadline acquisition Dylan DeMelo, but hasn’t started negotiations yet for a new contract according to Murat Ates of The Athletic. The team will “definitely take a look” at a new deal with the pending free agent, who ended up playing just 14 total games for the Jets after arriving from Ottawa partway through the season. The 27-year old DeMelo recorded just ten points in 59 games this season and is coming off a two-year deal that carried a $900K cap hit.
  • Martin Pospisil, who signed his three-year entry-level contract in 2019, will be playing in Slovakia for the time being. The Calgary Flames prospect has been loaned to HC Kosice for the next few months but is expected back for NHL training camp. Pospisil played 26 games for the Stockton Heat of the AHL this season, recording ten points.

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