Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jets Rumors

Poll: Who Will Win The Central Division In 2018-19?

at CDT | by 2 Comments

We’re less than a month away from the 2018-19 NHL season, and players are hitting the ice with teammates to start forming chemistry. All over the league training camps are getting underway, and rookies are starting to make their marks with their new franchises. The excitement for the upcoming season is starting to bubble up to the surface, and even the smallest NHL news has fans in a frenzy.

Recently, Bovada released their over/under numbers for each team’s point totals and there are some interesting results. Though these aren’t to be taken exactly as predictions for the upcoming season—since betting odds also take into account popularity trends and other factors—fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning should still be extremely satisfied to see their club at the very top with an over/under of 107.5 points. The Lightning are expected to be Stanley Cup contenders once again in 2018-19, and have brought back nearly their entire roster.

We ran a poll asking the PHR community to decide who will win the Atlantic Division, and the Lightning came out on top with nearly 37% of the vote. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished in second place, but the big surprise was the Detroit Red Wings in third with 15% of all voters. While our readers have more confidence in the Red Wings than the odds makers, we’ve seen stranger things in the past.

Next we asked the PHR community to vote on the Pacific Division, and while things were a little more evenly distributed the San Jose Sharks were still the clear favorite. With more than 26% of the vote, the Sharks came out ahead of the Los Angeles Kings (16%), Vegas Golden Knights (14%) and Calgary Flames (13%). The Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks haven’t done enough to inspire much confidence, earning just a handful of votes each. One has to wonder if the Sharks would have had an even bigger lead had the poll happened after their recent acquisition of Erik Karlsson.

Finally, we polled the PHR community on what they think will happen in the Metropolitan Division. This group has given us the last three Stanley Cup winners, but has star players throughout. Our readership obviously believes in a Cup hangover, as the Pittsburgh Penguins easily topped the defending champion Washington Capitals with nearly a 10% gap. Third place went to the Philadelphia Flyers who will hope adding another top forward and allowing their young players to take another step forward can push them to the top, while the Columbus Blue Jackets came in fourth despite their continued regular season success.

While the Atlantic had some contending options, the Central Division which we’ll tackle today have two powerhouses that are likely on a collision course in the playoffs once again. The Winnipeg Jets (106.5 over/under) and Nashville Predators (105.5) are two of the very best teams in the league and can ice a dangerous lineup from top to bottom. They are the easy favorites for the division crown, but the upstart Colorado Avalanche and revamped St. Louis Blues have their eyes on an underdog story. That’s not to mention the top-heavy Dallas Stars, consistent Minnesota Wild or playoff tested Chicago Blackhawks, who could all surprise with excellent seasons in 2018-19.

Who do you think will come out on top of the Central Division? Can the Predators win a second Presidents Trophy in a row, or will the Jets topple them for the Western Conference regular season crown? Is Nathan MacKinnon ready to carry the load for the Avalanche once again? Do Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have one last outstanding season in them? Cast your vote below and explain how you think the season will play out in the comments!

Who will win the Central Division in 2018-19?
Winnipeg Jets 29.27% (319 votes)
St. Louis Blues 20.83% (227 votes)
Nashville Predators 20.28% (221 votes)
Chicago Blackhawks 10.73% (117 votes)
Dallas Stars 9.27% (101 votes)
Minnesota Wild 5.60% (61 votes)
Colorado Avalanche 4.04% (44 votes)
Total Votes: 1,090

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Jets Sign Tye McGinn To A Minor League Deal, Could Get PTO For Training Camp

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • Coyotes unrestricted free agent winger Tye McGinn has signed a one-year deal with the Manitoba Moose, the Jets’ affiliate announced. Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe adds (Twitter link) that it wouldn’t be surprising if he winds up at training camp with Winnipeg on a PTO.  McGinn was dealt from Tampa Bay to Arizona back in November but he spent the full season in the AHL, collecting 23 points in 55 games.  The 28-year-old has 89 career NHL contests under his belt and could serve as a depth winger with the big club if injuries strike during the season.

Jets Okay If Extension For Patrik Laine Isn't Completed Until Next Offseason

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Heading into the offseason, many expected that the top picks from 2016 in Toronto’s Auston Matthews and Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine would get early extensions done with their respective teams.  It has already been established that it’s doubtful that Matthews will get a deal done and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff  indicated to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre that there’s no particular rush to get Laine locked up either:

Laine has quickly established himself as one of the top scoring threats in the league and with that in mind, it stands to reason that they might be able to sign him for less now than it would cost if he has another highly-productive season.  However, if Laine believes he can be among the top scorers again, he may prefer to wait.  At either rate, it doesn’t seem like the Jets are worried that their young star hasn’t signed just yet.

2018-19 Season Primer: St. Louis Blues

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the St. Louis Blues.

Last Season: 44-32-6 record (94 points), fifth in the Central Division (failed to reach the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $284,845 per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Ryan O’Reilly (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Tyler Bozak (free agent, Toronto Maple Leafs); F David Perron (free agent, Vegas Golden Knights); F Patrick Maroon (free agent, New Jersey Devils); G Chad Johnson (free agent, Buffalo Sabres); F Brian Flynn (free agent, Dallas Stars); D Tyler Wotherspoon (free agent, Calgary Flames); F Jordan Nolan (free agent, Buffalo Sabres)

Key Departures: F Kyle Brodziak (free agent, Edmonton Oilers); G Carter Hutton (free agent, Buffalo Sabres); F Patrik Berglund (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Vladimir Sobotka (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Tage Thompson (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Wade Megan (free agent, Detroit Red Wings); F Beau Bennett (free agent, Dinamo Minsk (KHL)); Petteri Lindbohm (free agent, Laussane (Swiss League))

[Related: Blues Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: G Jake Allen — The team has upgraded its offense, already had a solid defense and has several of their top prospects banging on its door, hoping to get into their rotation this year. What they didn’t do much with is their goaltending. Allen, once considered the franchise goalie, has now struggled for more than a full season, but with three years at $4.35MM per season still on the books, he’s not going anywhere this year.

The 28-year-old netminder struggled down the stretch during the 2016-17 season, but his consistency got even worse last year when he posted a .906 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA in 59 games. The team was forced to use Hutton on many occasions to replace the struggling goaltender. In hopes of redeeming his job, Allen has said that he has changed some of his training methods this summer and hopes to come into camp and prove that he is the starting goaltender.

The team had better hope that he can, because the team lost Hutton to the Buffalo Sabres in the offseason and replaced him with Johnson, who struggled in a one-year stint in Buffalo, albeit behind an atrocious defense. The team does have prospect Ville Husso waiting in the AHL, but many believe he still needs at least one year of seasoning there before he can challenge Allen for his job.

Key Storyline: The offense has been thoroughly upgraded in the last few months and it will be up to the team to find a way to gel and make it work. One key story will be whether they can get the breakout performance that everyone in the NHL has been waiting for from Vladimir Tarasenko. The winger posted three impressive seasons coming into last year, including a 37, 40, 39-goal seasons. However, while the 26-year-old still had a solid season last year, his 33 goals was a disappointment for a player who many felt was closer to a 40-goal scorer than a 30-point scorer.

One possibility to Tarasenko’s season could come down to the addition of O’Reilly. Adding a top-line center will be critical and if the two can co-exist, then you might see the development of a superstar as Tarasenko and Paul Stastny had limited chemistry together. There is also a likelihood that Maroon, who played together with Connor McDavid in Edmonton for a while, could add his physicality to that first line and give Tarasenko an even better chance to have a big season.

Overall Outlook: Looking at the massive changes to the team, especially at the forward position means the team expects to win now. The franchise has put a lot of expectations on head coach Mike Yeo and the team as they are expected to not just make the playoffs, but compete for the Central Division title. That’s a tough chore for any Central Division team if you assume that the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets will likely assume the first two spots in the division. That leaves just two playoffs spots for the rest of the division that includes the Minnesota Wild, who have been to the playoffs for six straight years, an improving Dallas Stars team, a young impressive Colorado Avalanche franchise and the Chicago Blackhawks who are trying to prove that their run isn’t over just yet. If the team fails to impress early on, that could put Yeo on the hot seat.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eric Comrie Re-Signs With Winnipeg Jets

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Winnipeg Jets at meticulously crossing names off their list, and this time it is Eric Comrie’s turn. The restricted free agent goaltender has signed a one-year two-way contract worth $650K in the NHL. Comrie was one of two unsigned RFAs alongside Josh Morrissey, who is next on the list for the Jets this offseason.

Comrie, 23, will be battling Laurent Brossoit in training camp for the right to back up Connor Hellebuyck this season after another solid year in the AHL. Selected in the second round five years ago, Comrie has developed nicely in the minor leagues and has a legitimate shot at a long NHL career. While he might not have a future starting in Winnipeg, there’s no reason to think he couldn’t do an adequate job playing 20-25 games this season and allowing Hellebuyck—who led the NHL with 67 regular season appearances in 2017-18—to remain fresher for the eventual playoff run. Comrie recorded an .872 save percentage in three games with the Jets last season, but had a .916 in the AHL forming one of the best tandems in the minor leagues alongside Michael Hutchinson.

The biggest thing standing in his way is the fact that he is still waiver-exempt, meaning unless he seriously outplays Brossoit in camp he’ll likely start in the minors once again. Brossoit is also on a one-way contract for this season, though the $650K cap hit would not count towards the Jets salary cap if he cleared waivers and was assigned to the minor leagues. At worst, Comrie will be handling the starting duties for the Manitoba Moose and will be ready for a call-up if necessary. He’ll still be a restricted free agent at the end of this deal.

Morning Notes: Seguin, Bruins, Hurricanes

at CDT | by 3 Comments

While the Winnipeg Jets have locked up one of the premiere 2019 UFA forwards by signing Blake Wheeler to a five-year extension, talks have started up in Dallas again regarding Tyler Seguin. John Shannon of Sportsnet reports that the Stars and Seguin’s camp spoke about an extension this past weekend and noted that “things will get interesting” when Seguin returns to Dallas on Wednesday.

Seguin’s public comments about being disappointed in his contract situation likely didn’t do Dallas any favors, but there was always an expectation something would be worked out between the two sides. If nothing is announced before training camp begins in a few weeks though, you can be sure that there will be daily rumors over whether Seguin is intending on testing the free agent waters. With Wheeler off the market, another big name is removed from what at one point looked like the most impressive free agent class ever. Seguin’s signing would only further that decline.

Blake Wheeler Agrees To Five-Year Extension

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Winnipeg Jets have had a huge offseason, but have now announced another huge contract. Captain Blake Wheeler has signed a five-year, $41.25MM extension that will keep him in Winnipeg through the 2023-24 season and make him the 16th highest paid forward in the league with an $8.25MM cap hit. Wheeler is heading into the final season of his current deal and was set to be one of the headliners of the 2019 free agent market, but will now be under contract until he is 37. According to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun, the deal includes a full no-movement clause for the first three seasons and a modified no-trade clause in the final two. The full salary breakdown (via Chris Johnston of Sportsnet) is as follows:

  • 2019-20: $6.0MM salary + $4.0MM signing bonus
  • 2020-21: $6.5MM salary
  • 2021-22: $10.0MM salary
  • 2022-23: $6.5MM salary
  • 2023-24: $8.25MM salary

Wheeler, 32, is coming off the most productive offensive season of his career and one in which he proved his status as one of the most versatile players in the league. Moving to center for the first extended stretch of his career while Mark Scheifele dealt with injury, Wheeler picked up the position immediately and was a force at both ends of the rink. Setting a new career-high in points with 91, and following that with a 21-point playoff performance, the 6’5″ forward has established himself as one of the premiere playmakers in the NHL and potentially could have demanded an even higher cap hit had he reached the open market.

While $8.25MM does become the Jets’ highest cap hit for the 2018-19 season currently, that number will likely be broken by the upcoming Patrik Laine extension that could command upwards of $10MM per season. The Jets are obviously willing to pay a good deal in order to keep their championship window open, but have done well to keep Wheeler on a contract shorter than the maximum eight years. Wheeler, Schiefele, Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers are now all signed through at least the 2023-24 season, while Laine and Kyle Connor are next up for extensions as they head into the final seasons of their entry-level contracts.

It seems unlikely that Wheeler will be able to match his 90-point pace for the remainder of the contract, but even if he settles back into the 65-75 range that he has put up in previous years the Jets will be more than happy with their investment. Though his offensive exploits are the biggest reason for his upcoming raise, to a man the Jets organization raves about his leadership qualities on and off the ice, and he’s also earned Selke votes four times in his career as one of the league’s best defensive forwards.

For the Jets, there is obvious risk at the end of the contract when Wheeler is heading into his late-thirties, but it’s the price they have to pay in order to keep the window open right now. While the Nashville Predators and others in the Western Conference continue to load up for a run at the Stanley Cup, the Jets should be considered a front runner for the next few seasons. The team does still have quite a bit of work to do this summer, given that Josh Morrissey remains unsigned and Laine, Connor, Tyler Myers and Jacob Trouba are all scheduled for free agency next offseason, but getting Wheeler under contract is a big step forward.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Stastny, Hextall, Klefbom

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Vegas Golden Knights may have lost a pair of high-end forwards in James Neal and David Perron, but the team did bring in an important free agent this offseason when they signed center Paul Stastny to a three-year deal. The 32-year-old center showed off his impressive skills after he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets from St. Louis at the trade deadline. Stastny was given the role of anchoring a line with their star youngsters’ Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers and that line was a key part of the team’s deep playoff run, before being eliminated by Vegas.

Now ironically in Vegas and expected to center the team’s second line, Stastny said he spends a lot of his offseason training much differently considering that he’s entering that portion of a players’ career where a decline begins. Stastny told The Athletic’s Ryan Clark (subscription required) that he spends a lot of time focusing on off-ice things, especially his diet.

“Trying to keep up with your diet, trying to stay lean, trying to stay quick because as you get older, you might lose that step,” Stastny said. “The game’s changed from my first year where it was a lot heavier, stronger, touch and grabbing to know where it’s just not as much physical. A lot more skating and you gotta keep with that endurance as much as you can.”

Stastny, who posted 16 goals and 53 points between St. Louis and Winnipeg, expects to join the team’s second line between Alex Tuch and either Erik Haula or Tomas Tatar.

  • David Isaac of the Courier Post interviewed Philadelphia Flyers head coach Ron Hextall, who said in the Q&A that the team looked into upgrading their bottom-six this year in hopes of improving their penalty kill, which struggled last year, but felt they were unable to do that. The special teams’ unit played better over the final 25 games, according to Hextall, but he would still like to add a penalty killing forward, if possible. “I’m open to it, but it would probably be more of a lateral move on the market rather than a free agent,” Hextall said. “It would be a forward. We’d like to add a penalty-killing forward but to this point there’s been nothing there that’s made enough sense for us to move.”
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins wonders if this is the year that defenseman Oscar Klefbom puts it all together, especially now that reports are coming in that say he’s 100 percent already with just a couple of weeks before training camp. The 25-year-old had a breakout season in 2016-17 when he tallied 12 goals and 38 points, but struggled through an injury-plagued 2017-18. Now healthy, the scribe believes this is the year he takes that next step.

2018-19 Season Primer: Winnipeg Jets

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the Winnipeg Jets.

Last Season: 52-20-10 record (114 points), second in the Central Division (lost to Vegas in the third round, beat Nashville in the second round, beat Minnesota in the first round)

Remaining Cap Space: $10.24MM per CapFriendly (still need to re-sign G Eric Comrie and D Josh Morrissey)

Key Newcomer: G Laurent Brossoit (free agency, Edmonton)

Key Departures: F Joel Armia (trade with Montreal), D Toby Enstrom (free agency, Sweden), F Matt Hendricks (free agency, Minnesota), G Michael Hutchinson (free agency, Florida), G Steve Mason (trade with Montreal), F Shawn Matthias (free agency, unsigned), F Paul Stastny (free agency, Vegas)

[Related: Jets Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: D Jacob Trouba – With last season being a contract year, many eyes were on Trouba to see if he could take that next step forward coming off of a career season in 2016-17.  Instead, he battled injury trouble with an ankle issue and a concussion and wound up playing in a career-low 55 games.  Accordingly, the Jets didn’t appear to be ready to commit to him long-term and the sides wound up going through arbitration with Trouba receiving a $5MM award.

Now, the 24-year-old finds himself in the exact same situation as last season as he’s once again in a contract year with arbitration eligibility in the summer.  Will he be able to have that breakthrough year and show the Jets that he’s worthy of a big-ticket contract to make him the focal point of their back end?

If that doesn’t happen, then even more questions are going to be raised about his future.  His previous contract negotiations haven’t exactly been the smoothest and he’ll hit next summer being one year away from UFA eligibility.  If a long-term deal with Winnipeg isn’t in the cards, then all of a sudden, Trouba becomes a strong trade candidate.  As a result, not only will he be trying to show the Jets he’s worthy of a long-term deal, he could very well be showcasing himself around the league with his play next season as well.

Key Storyline: We may only be in September, ten months away from the next free agent period but it’s safe to say that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s activity in 2018-19 will be with July of 2019 at the forefront of his thought process.

Joining Trouba as core players on expiring contracts are defenseman Tyler Myers (UFA) plus wingers Patrik Laine (RFA), Kyle Connor (RFA), and Blake Wheeler (UFA).  Those are a lot of key cogs in need of new deals and they’re going to have some challenges locking all of them up and staying under the cap.

Winnipeg presently has a little over $44MM on the books for ten players in 2019-20, an amount that will go up by a few million once Morrissey’s deal gets done.  Laine could conceivably get ten times his current AAV ($925K), Connor could go from $925K to between $5MM and $7MM, while the other three will undoubtedly be seeking raises as well.  Put it all together and there’s a cap crunch on the horizon.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Winnipeg looks to try to shed some payroll throughout the season.  Their move to give Armia to Montreal to take Mason’s contract off the books gives them plenty of wiggle room for 2018-19 but sooner than later, they’re going to have to take steps to create some more space for 2019-20 and beyond.

Overall Outlook: Despite losing Stastny, Winnipeg heads into the upcoming season with high expectations.  The core that was there for all of last year remains intact and the continued development of some of their key youngsters should help offset Stastny’s departure.  As things stand, the Jets have to be considered as one of the top threats in the Western Conference.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NHL Rookie Tournaments Set For Early September

at CDT | by 2 Comments

8/31: The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders have joined to fray, as their rookie camps will clash in prospects game on September 12th at the Isles’ practice facility, the teams announced. This leaves only the Florida Panthers without a competition for their rookies in the coming weeks.

8/24: Before team training camps open up for veterans, the rookies get some work in each year with various rookie tournaments and exhibition games taking place around the continent. This is where you can catch your favorite team:

  • The most well-known preseason rookie tournament is obviously the Traverse City NHL Prospect Tournament. The annual tournament hosted by the Detroit Red Wings is in its 20th year of existence. The format consists of two four-team “divisions” who play a round-robin tournament with the winner of each group earning a berth in the championship game. Featured this year are the Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. The games run from September 7th to September 11th.
  • Buffalo is again set to host the Sabres’ Prospect Challenge Tournament. Running from September 7th to 10th, it is a single group round robin tournament with the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, and Pittsburgh Penguins joining the Sabres on their home ice. This will be the first game action for top overall pick and preseason Calder Trophy favorite Rasmus Dahlin.
  • Across the border, the three eastern Canadian teams are set to square off in Laval, Quebec, the home of the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. The Habs announced a set of three games featuring themselves, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Ottawa Senators on September 7th, 8th, and 9th.
  • On the other side of the country, a previous rookie tournament has been split in half. The NHL Young Stars Tournament, held in Penticton, British Columbia, will now contain only the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks, as well as a pair of collegiate teams in a three-day series of games from September 7th to 9th. The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames chose not to participate this year and will instead face-off in one singular game in Red Deer, Alberta on September 12th.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights are set to host the first of a revolving tournament among U.S.-based Western Conference teams. Nicknamed the Vegas Rookie Faceoff, Sin City will be the location of this year’s tournament which also features the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks. It will be a three-day, nine-game series taking place on September 8th, 9th, and 11th. The tournament is expected to head to Anaheim next year.
  • Finally, the NHL’s southeastern squads will square off in Estero, Florida at the home of the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. The Prospect Showcase will be four days of games between the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, taking place from September 8th to 11th.

For all updates on rookie tournament rosters, check in with Roster Resource and their running tracker of roster announcements.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top