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Deadline Primer: Winnipeg Jets

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With the trade deadline now just weeks away, we’re going to start taking a closer look at each team.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?

It has been a bit of a strange season for the Winnipeg Jets.  Despite being one of the highest scoring teams in the league, they find themselves out of a playoff spot in large part due to some below average goaltending.  However, they’re still somewhat close enough to a Wild Card berth that they could go either way when it comes to the trade deadline.

Record

26-29-5 record, 5th in Central Division

Deadline Status

Likely seller but could also be a buyer depending on the position they’re acquiring.

Deadline Cap Space

$25.4MM – full-season cap hit, 43/50 contracts

Draft Picks

2017: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, WPG 3rd, WPG 4th, WPG 5th, WPG 6th, MTL 7th, WPG 7th
2018: WPG 1st, WPG 2nd, WPG 3rd, WPG 4th, WPG 5th, WPG 6th, WPG 7th

Trade Chips

Mar 16, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Winnipeg Jets center Mathieu Perreault (85) skates during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY SportsConsidering where they are in the standings, it’s fair to think that they will be open to moving out at least most of their pending unrestricted free agents, especially up front where they have strong depth with youngsters such as recent first rounders Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic who aren’t far away from being NHL ready.

They also have a decision to make regarding winger/center Mathieu Perreault.  While they gave him a contract extension prior to the start of the season, he is a candidate to be left unprotected in June’s expansion draft.  With that in mind, do they look to move him by the beginning of March and ensure they get something for him in return?

Five Players To Watch For: RW Scott Kosmachuk, G Ondrej Pavelec, LW Mathieu Perreault, D Paul Postma, RW Drew Stafford

Team Needs

1) Goaltending Upgrade – While the Jets were certainly hoping Connor Hellebuyck would be able to shoulder the number one job this season, he has been consistently inconsistent between the pipes which isn’t all that uncommon for a young goalie.  Michael Hutchinson has struggled in a backup role and while Pavelec picked up a few wins after being summoned from the minors, he hasn’t exactly played like a starter either (and is currently on injured reserve).

Winnipeg remains hopeful that Hellebuyck can be their starter of the future but he’s not a true number one now.  If they intend to compete for a playoff spot this season, they would do well to bring in a more established starter with a shorter term remaining on his contract (either an expiring deal or someone with a year left after this one).  Even if they’re looking towards next season, this would make some sense as considering how many goalies are believed to be available, it would be a great time for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to try to capitalize on what should be a buyers’ market at that position.

2) Third Pairing Blueline Help – While the Jets are thought of as a team with a lot of defensive depth, that isn’t exactly the case at the moment.  Head coach Paul Maurice has leaned heavily on their top two pairings and have only used third pairing players like Postma, Ben Chiarot, and Mark Stuart in limited situations.  The fact that Tyler Myers recently underwent surgery and is set to be out until mid-to-late March at the earliest means that this is set to continue for a while yet.

If Winnipeg is going to push for the playoffs, adding someone who can take some pressure off of their top blueliners would be a very welcome pickup.  Even if they don’t envision making the postseason this year, it’s still an area that they should be looking to address for next year.  If they do opt to sell, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to add a young defender who could push for a depth spot next season instead of just looking for draft picks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Therrien, Enstrom, Lazar, Varlamov

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Following his sudden firing from the Canadiens earlier this week, former head coach Michel Therrien released a statement (via the Montreal Gazette):

I would first like to thank the Montreal Canadiens organization, especially Geoff Molson and Marc Bergevin, for the experience of five remarkable years. The Montreal Canadiens have always been a great organization, and recent events in no way change my perception of the team and its management.

Being an NHL coach is a tough job: it is gratifying on many levels but it can also quickly become a thankless task. When a team is experiencing difficulties, any head coach knows his job is on the line. I understand and accept this reality.

I would like to thank fans in Montreal and across Quebec, as well as members of the media. I also salute the coaches and staff I have worked with over the years and, above all, the many players whom I had the privilege of coaching.

I leave with my head held high: I am very proud of the work accomplished over the past five years. The current team can aspire to great honours, and I wish my colleague Claude Julien every success in the future.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NHL:

  • The Jets announced (via Twitter) that defenseman Toby Enstrom had surgery yesterday on “an existing lower body injury.” The 32-year-old is expected to be sidelined for two-to-three weeks. In 55 games this season, the 10-year veteran has collected one goal and 13 assists.
  • Curtis Lazar is set to return to the Senators lineup tonight, and Mike Halford of Pro Hockey Talk writes that the return could help boost the forward’s trade value. The 22-year-old’s agent is set to meet with the team’s front office, and Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen believes the player could ask for a trade. In 29 games this season, the former first-round pick has compiled a single assist.
  • Following reports that Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov was set to miss the rest of the season, general manager Joe Sakic said the organization is hoping the 28-year-old will return to full strength for next season. “I expect him to be fully healthy next year,” Sakic said (via Terry Frei of the Denver Post). “He’s had the problems with his groin the last couple of years, and this year, but he’s a worker, he cares, he’s a guy who puts a lot of pressure on that area the way he plays.” In 24 games (23 starts) this season, Varlamov has gone 6-17 with a .898 save percentage.

Morning Transactions: Blue Jackets, Jets, Canucks

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News and notes from around the NHL this morning:

  • The Blue Jackets have added winger Oliver Bjorkstrand to the roster on an emergency recall, the team announced (via Twitter). The 21-year-old has compiled one assist and six penalty minutes in five games for Columbus this season. Down in Cleveland, the former third-rounder has scored 14 goals and collected 12 assists in 37 games. Bjorkstrand participated in the AHL All-Star Classic earlier this season.
  • The Jets have recalled defenseman Julian Melchiori from their AHL affiliate and placed goalie Ondrej Pavelec on the injured reserve, the team announced (via Twitter). Melchiori has played four games for the big-league club this season, giving him a total of 16 career NHL games under his belt. In 32 games for Manitoba this season, the 25-year-old has posted two goals and four assists. Meanwhile, Pavelec was placed on the IR retroactive to February 7th. In eight starts this season, the goalie has gone 4-4 with an .888 save percentage.
  • The Canucks have recalled forward Brendan Gaunce from the Utica Comets, the team announced (via Twitter). The 2012 first-round pick has played in 47 games for the Canucks this season, collecting only five assists. As a rookie during the 2015-2016 season, the 22-year-old scored a single goal in 20 games.

Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Bruins, Canadiens

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For the Maple Leafs, the past calendar year has been one of wild swings. In the last 12 months (and a few days) the team dealt team captain Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa for cap relief, finished last in the NHL, drafted the future face of the franchise and vaulted themselves into playoff contention. In the last few weeks though the team has held on tight as the roller-coaster has tilted up on two wheels.

The team currently sits tied with Philadelphia for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, but has had trouble keeping the puck out of their own net in recent weeks. After two back-to-back shutouts over Calgary and Detroit in late January, the team has allowed 30 goals in eight games and gone 2-4-2. Kristen Shilton of TSN reports on their mediocrity and where the team’s mindset is as they try to turn things around. One of the positive notes has been the play of William Nylander, who after an early season demotion to the fourth line has recharged his defensive tanks and become a leader on a shutdown line with Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov.

The team has no time to settle in though, with a condensed schedule and eight games in the fifteen nights remaining in February. They’ll take on the New York Islanders tomorrow on home ice.

  • The Boston Bruins are 3-0 with their new head coach, getting a boost from the new voice of Bruce Cassidy behind the bench. They tore apart their rival Montreal Canadiens last night 4-0 and have put some space between them and the struggling Maple Leafs. Perhaps the coaching move was the right choice, but they’re in for a tough road trip when they come back off their mandated bye-week. The team will hit the road on the west coast with matchups against San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles and Dallas out of the break—a tough schedule for anyone.
  • Montreal could do with a little of that coaching magic, writes Michael Traikos of the National Post. While the Bruins surge, the Canadiens flounder at the top of the Atlantic Division, now only six points ahead of the Ottawa Senators despite having played five more games. For what at one point looked like a lock for the top see in the division, Montreal now faces a tough final stretch of games. Traikos opines that Michel Therrien should be fired like his Boston counterpart, despite still holding onto that top seed. For now he remains with the team an they’ll come out of their break against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
  • Hopefully they will return with some help, says Ken Campbell of The Hockey News. In his latest column, Campbell examines the Canadiens need for some secondary scoring help behind the top duo of Max Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov. After Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic and AGM Chris McFarland were seen in attendance at the Bruins-Habs matchup on Sunday, hope sprung in Montreal about a possible addition of one of the two young players on the Avalanche trade-block. Both Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog would provide a nice punch to the second line for the Habs, though the asking price remains as high as ever.

Trade Candidates: Ondrej Pavelec

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

Ondrej Pavelec entered the league with much fanfare, but never developed into an elite goaltender. He’s had sparks of success—including 2014-15 where he posted a 2.28 GAA and a .920 SV%—but he’s regressed that past two years to a borderline AHL goaltender. Maybe Pavelec needs a change of scenery to reboot his career, but his current stats do not provide much optimism for increased performance.

Contract

Pavelec is in the final year of an escalating base salary deal averaging $3.9MM a year. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

2016-17

Bumpy is the best way to describe Pavelec’s season so far. In a surprisingly but not entirely shocking move, the Winnipeg Jets sent Pavelec down to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose to start the season. The Czech goaltender stayed in the AHL until Winnipeg finally called him back up on January 16th. He’s been the team’s starter ever since, but his numbers leave Winnipeg wanting more. Through his eight starts this season Pavelec has an .888 SV% and a 3.55 GAA. Unfortunately for Winnipeg, however, its other two goaltenders—Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson—aren’t faring much better.

Season Stats

NHL: 8 GP, 4-4-0, .888 SV%, 3.55 GAA, 0 SO
AHL: 18 GP, 8-7-2, .917 SV%, 2.78 GAA, 0 SO

Suitors

Any potential suitors for Pavelec are ones in the market for cheap goaltending insurance. Whatever potential Pavelec may have harbored over the past two years is almost surely gone, and GMs see Pavelec’s current stats as indicative of his future performance. Nonetheless, one only has to look at Devan Dubnyk’s resurgence for hope that Pavelec turns it around elsewhere. Written off after underperforming in Edmonton and Arizona, Dubnyk joined the Minnesota Wild and immediately became one of the league’s best goaltenders.

Pavelec is a pending UFA which should ease the risk for teams looking for goaltending services. Teams will not be on the hook for Pavelec after this year, and the allure of goaltender insurance is strong. GMs know that losing your starting goaltender spells disaster for a team’s chances at a deep playoff run, so a cheap insurance option may appeal to some.

Likelihood Of A Trade

The goalie market is stagnant. Ben Bishop, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Jimmy Howard all remain with their teams, and those dominos have to fall one way or another before teams take a flyer on Pavelec. Pavelec could be the cheaper option for most teams, but it’s unclear whether his play will improve this season. The Jets may have to bite the bullet and accept anything they can get for Pavelec before they lose him to free agency.

Trade Candidates: Mathieu Perreault

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

Rarely do you see a player who just signed a long-term extension get traded before that extension even kicks in, but that very well could be the case with Mathieu Perreault and the Winnipeg Jets. Entering the final season of his three-year, $9MM deal, Perreault inked a big four-year extension this summer. However, the team may have erred in not first considering the possibility of an Expansion Draft this off-season, and is facing a very real possibility that if they don’t move the veteran center, they could lose him for nothing. The Jets appear poised to protect four defenseman – Dustin Byfuglien, Toby Enstrom, Jacob Trouba, and Tyler Myers – leaving just four forward spots available, which will almost definitely go to Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, Bryan Little, and Adam Lowry. TSN was the first to report the high likelihood of a Perrault trade, and he remains on their “Trade Bait List“. But is there a market for his services in-season?

Contract

Perreault will enter the first year of a four-year, $16.5MM extension in 2017-18. Currently, he is in the final year of his previous three-year, $9MM deal. That annual $3MM cap hit will be pro-rated to under $900K at the Trade Deadline, but will then jump back up to $4.125MM for the next four seasons.

2016-17

Hurting Perreault’s “tradability” in 2016-17 is a noticeable drop-off in production. If the Jets had chosen to trade the play-making pivot last spring, they would have brought in quite the haul in draft capital. Perreault had back-to-back 41-point seasons to begin his tenure in Winnipeg and was in the midst of potentially the best season of his career with career highs in assists, power play points, and ice time. He also had a year remaining on his deal at an affordable cap hit. This season? Not so much. Perreault now carries a four years at $4.25MM and does not have the stats to back up the cost. In between missing time with injuries this season, Perreault has registered just 17 points in 40 games, which may as well be canceled out by his career-worst -17 rating. However, Perreault is still considered a high-end play-maker and a power play specialist, and his cap hit at his previous numbers is more than tolerable. If Perreault can pick up his play down the stretch and improve on a dismal performance so far, interest will heat up in no time.

Season Stats

40 GP, 4 goal, 13 assists, 17 points, -17 rating, 83 shots, 15:31 ATOI

Potential Suitors

Adding players with term on their contract is easier said than done this season. With the Expansion Draft weighing on everyone’s decisions this deadline season, no one is going to pay a lot for a player they then stand to lose for nothing if he doesn’t fit into their protection scheme. Perreault could prove to be a difficult addition for many teams.

The New York Islanders have really felt the loss of center Frans Nielsen this season and desperately need some depth at center. They also have some flexibility in the expansion process and have the salary cap space to accommodate his cap hit. Perrault down the middle behind John Tavares would be quite an upgrade over Casey Cizikas and Alan Quine this year and in the future.

If the Montreal Canadiens miss out on their rumored top target of Martin Hanzal and don’t want to pony up for Matt Duchene, they could come calling for Perreault. With Tomas Plekanec and David Desharnais showing clear signs of decline, the Habs are desperate for depth down the middle going forward. Montreal is reportedly “all in” at the Trade Deadline, so a move to bring in a big-time center would come with no surprise, though the salary cap implications would need to be closely monitored.

Another strong candidate, though a Western Conference foe, is the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings are perusing the center market as well, and could use depth behind Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. Cap space is not as big an issue for L.A. who could really solidify their top nine by adding Perreault to the mix.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has shown a willingness to make big moves, especially when the pressure is on, and there is no greater pressure than potentially losing a key player for nothing in the Expansion Draft. However, that same draft makes moving a long-term player like Perreault much more difficult than moving an impending free agent. As the Jets sink further and further into the basement of the Western Conference, the more likely it will become that Cheveldayoff stops working on ways to keep Perreault and starts looking for ways to trade him. The difficulty in doing so makes this move far from a sure thing though.

Minor Transactions: 2/11/17

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It appears that the Ottawa Senators have given Andrew Hammond a stinker of a birthday gift as they’ve placed him on waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link).

Hammond, affectionately known as the Hamburglar, has struggled to find consistency since his dominating performance during the 2014-15 season. In just 24 games that season, Hammond went 20-1-2 and posted a .941 save percentage. Since then, Hammond appeared in 30 games, going 7-13-4 and this season alone, having a goals against average north of four. His save percentage is a paltry .837. This was predictable as Craig Anderson is slated to start tonight for the Senators according to the Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren. Additionally, the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch tweets that extension talks with Mike Condon signalled the end of Hammond’s time in Ottawa. Should he clear waivers, he will report to Binghamton.

Other minor roster moves from around the league:

  • The Sabres, announced they have brought Evan Rodrigues back into the fold. He has no points in two games this season, but has registered 27 points in 44 games with the Rochester Americans. According to the press release, this is Rodrigues’ third callup this season with the Sabres.
  • The Devils announced via Twitter that they have recalled forward Joseph Blandisi from AHL Albany.  The 22 year old has spent the bulk of the season in the minors, picking up 23 points in 28 games.  He has also got into three games with New Jersey, being held off the scoresheet.
  • After clearing waivers earlier today, the Jets announced that they’ve assigned blueliner Julian Melchiori to their AHL affiliate in Manitoba.  Melchiori has played in 31 games with the Moose this year, recording six points.  He also saw action in four games with the Jets before hitting the wire.

Minor Transactions: 2/10/2017

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The flip-flop of young backups continues in Columbus. The Blue Jackets announced today that they have demoted Joonas Korpisalo to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and recalled Anton Forsberg to take his place. The 22-year-old Korpisalo won both of his last two starts, but was unimpressive, allowing a combined ten goals in the process. He did relieve Sergei Bobrovsky recently with 13 minutes of shutout hockey, but it was not enough to keep him around. Korpisalo has an .893 SV% and 3.57 GAA in five appearances this season. Ironically, Forsberg has not done much better. In his first and only game with Columbus in 2016-17, the 24-year-old allowed four goals on 27 shots in a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. With both young keepers set to go unprotected in the upcoming Expansion Draft, perhaps it is GM Jarmo Kekalainen’s strategy to not allow either to get hot at the NHL level in an effort to dissuade the Vegas Golden Knights from damaging the Blue Jackets’ future in net.

Columbus also sent Oliver Bjorkstrand down to the AHL. The 21-year-old Danish winger was expected to have a much greater role with the Blue Jackets this season, but to this point has just one point in five games. Bjorkstrand has spent almost the whole season with the Monsters, scoring 14 goals and nine assists in 35 games.

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Last night, the Edmonton Oilers recalled defenseman Jordan Oesterle and forward Anton Lander from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The pair have been sent back-and-forth frequently of late while Edmonton balances their lineup. Lander has been demoted recently during struggles to make a difference with the Oilers, only to dominate the AHL level with 28 points in 18 games. On the flip side, Edmonton has tried inserting Oesterle into the lineup recently due to his 18 points in 26 games to lead all Condors defensemen.
  • Eric Gelinas has been reassigned to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage by the struggling Colorado Avalanche. The Avs are desperate for defense, but Gelinas has not been the solution. The former New Jersey Devils top prospect was traded to Colorado at the deadline last year, and has been a major disappointment. After playing a prominent role for the Devils, he has just one point in 33 games for the Avalanche.
  • One of the main reasons that the Winnipeg Jets placed defenseman Julian Melchiori on waivers earlier today was to make room for fellow blue liner Ben Chiarot. The Jets announced that they have activated Chiarot from the injured reserve today. Chiarot has been out since early January for the Jets, and his presence will be much-welcomed with Tyler Myers still sidelined.
  • Buffalo announced via Twitter that they have sent forward Evan Rodrigues back to AHL Rochester.  He has played in just four career NHL games – two this season – but is having a strong season at the minor league level with nine goals and 18 assists in 43 contests with the Amerks.
  • The Sharks have made a series of roster moves, announcing that they have recalled defenseman Tim Heed and winger Kevin Labanc from San Jose of the AHL while assigning blueliner Joakim Ryan and center Ryan Carpenter to the Barracuda.  Heed and Labanc have been shuffled back and forth routinely as the team looks to free up extra cap space and will be available for a matinee game against the Flyers tomorrow.
  • Dallas has assigned blueliner Julius Honka to their AHL affiliate in Texas, reports Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge (Twitter link).  Honka has played in ten NHL games this season, recording four assists.  The move suggests that Jamie Oleksiak could be ready to return from his hand injury; he has been out of the lineup since January 11th.

Jets Waive Julian Melchiori

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For the first time in four days, a player is on waivers in the NHL.

The Winnipeg Jets have placed defenseman Julian Melchiori on waivers, according to ESPN and TSN insider Pierre LeBrun.

Melchiori has been held pointless in four NHL games this season, and has six points in 31 games with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. He was called up to the NHL when Patrik Laine was injured back in January.

A third round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers back in 2010, the 6’5 defenseman has no points in 16 NHL games with the Jets and 38 points in 266 AHL games. Melchiori is in the first year of a two-year, two-way extension signed back in July. He has already cleared waivers once this year, back during training camp.

Ondrej Pavelec Out With Injury

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After starting eight of the Winnipeg Jets’ nine games since he was called up from the AHL in mid-January, Ondrej Pavelec will take a seat once again. After leaving Tuesday night’s game against the Minnesota Wild, coach Paul Maurice confirmed today that Pavelec has suffered a lower body injury. The Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe reports that Pavelec is expected to be out “about a week”.

With Pavelec back out of the picture, the Jets will return to their young duo of Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson for the next week and beyond. When Pavelec was recalled on January, Winnipeg made the decision not to subject the 26-year-old Hutchinson to waivers and to instead carry three goalies. However, in the last month, Hutchinson has not made a single appearance, while Hellebuyck had just one start before relieving Pavelec on Tuesday. The pair have been less than stellar this season anyway; Hellebuyck has been the better of the two with 17 wins, a .909 SV%, and 2.78 GAA in 36 appearances, while Hutchinson has just four wins and a ghastly .894 SV% and 3.23 GAA in 20 appearances.

Despite getting nearly all the ice time in net since his resurrection from the minors, Pavelec has not been all that successful either. In fact, he’s actually been worse than Hellebuyck and Hutchinson. Pavelec currently has a 4-4 record with a horrid .888 SV% and 3.55 GAA. Granted, that is only through eight games, but the Jets may actually be better suited with Pavelec injured and out of the lineup. Winnipeg has just 54 points on the season through 56 contests, which puts them in fifth in the Central Division. While they sit just five points back of the Calgary Flames for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, they have played two or more games than all three teams chasing them for that berth: the Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars, and Vancouver Canucks. The playoffs seem like a long shot for the Jets, and going forward it is Hellebuyck that is the goalie of the future. Increased play time for the young keeper down the stretch rather than the ten-year veteran and impending free agent would be the logical move. Though Pavelec has dedicated his career to the Thrashers/Jets franchise, his preseason demotion and poor play at the NHL level in 2016-17 clearly signal that his time is over. Winnipeg would be better served long-term to give Hellebuyck the majority of starts for the remainder of the season.

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