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Winnipeg Jets Sign Ashton Sautner

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The Winnipeg Jets have added another defenseman, this time signing Manitoba kid Ashton Sautner to a one-year, two-way contract. The Flin Flon native will have an NHL salary of $750K this season.

Sautner, 28,  has been in the Vancouver Canucks system for his entire career, though did play two games for the Manitoba Moose during the 2020-21 season. For the Jets, he’ll now provide some depth at the position but is very likely headed back to the minor leagues, given he hasn’t appeared in the NHL since 2019-20. In fact, Sautner has just 23 appearances at the NHL level overall, most of which came in the 2018-19 season.

Still, every team needs minor league depth and the undrafted defenseman provides solid play at that level. In 41 games for the Abbotsford Canucks this season he recorded 13 points, matching a career-high. Given how many options are already in the Jets system, even the prospect of a handful of games at the NHL level seems like a stretch for Sautner at this point.

Andrew Brunette Joins Devils As Associate Coach

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July 15: The Devils have officially announced Brunette as the team’s new associate coach, mentioning how he was a teammate of general manager Tom Fitzgerald with the Nashville Predators in 1998-99.

July 13: It’s not just players making news today. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports the New Jersey Devils have reached a three-year agreement with Andrew Brunette on an associate coaching role. TSN’s Darren Dreger was first to report that things were tracking toward an agreement between Brunette and the New Jersey Devils, but also listed the Winnipeg Jets, Philadelphia Flyers, and Vancouver Canucks as teams with interest in the 2022 Jack Adams Award finalist.

Not often do you see a coach of the year contender immediately hit the open market, let alone do you see them settle for an associate coaching role. But with just five years of coaching experience in the NHL in total, and the Panthers opting to hire the more experienced Paul Maurice, Brunette hits the open market as a high-end support man for teams’ benches. In New Jersey, he’d serve behind an extremely experienced bench boss in Lindy Ruff, allowing him to gain just a little more time in the league before undoubtedly returning to a head coaching role down the road.

And after those three seasons, that’s undoubtedly what he’ll do. It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see him take over for Ruff in three years’ time, or even sooner if New Jersey decides to part with Ruff before that. It’s a good backup plan in case things go wrong with Ruff at the helm.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Alex Limoges, Kyle Capobianco

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The Winnipeg Jets have signed free agent forward Alex Limoges to a one-year, entry-level contract, per a team tweet today. Financial terms are currently unavailable. Per CapFriendly, the team has also signed former Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kyle Capobianco to a two-year deal worth $762.5K per year. Per PuckPedia, the contract is a two-way deal in 2022-23 with a $750K NHL / $325K AHL split, and a one-way deal worth $775K in year two.

Limoges, a 24-year-old native of Virginia, actually already has a year and a half of professional experience under his belt with the San Diego Gulls. He turned pro in 2020-21 after his college career with Penn State concluded, spending the remainder of the season with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.

Staying in San Diego for the past two years, he’s been one of the most under-the-radar producers in the AHL during that time. He’s scored 34 goals, 27 assists, and 61 points in 85 games with the Gulls, and he also led the entire NCAA in points in 2018-19.

Now on an NHL contract for the first time, Limoges will get the chance to improve on those numbers in the Jets organization. If injuries strike Winnipeg hard this year, don’t be surprised if Limoges gets a crack at making his NHL debut.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Kevin Stenlund

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After failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Kevin Stenlund has found a new home. This year he’ll be under contract with the Winnipeg Jets, where he has inked a one-year, two-way deal worth $750K.

After notching 10 points in 32 games in both 2019-20 and 2020-21 for Columbus, Stenlund saw his role vanish in 2021-22, tallying no points in just three games. He produced a somewhat underwhelming 25 points in 48 AHL games with the Cleveland Monsters, too, capping off a rough year for the 25-year-old Swedish forward.

He’ll likely head to Manitoba (if he clears waivers) for the beginning of 2022-23, and he’ll surely get a top-six role there in order to help recapture his confidence. If he does, he has the potential to be a dependable depth option at the NHL level.

Winnipeg Jets Sign David Rittich

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The Winnipeg Jets lost Eric Comrie to free agency and needed another goaltender to backup Connor Hellebuyck. That will be David Rittich, who is coming in on a one-year, $900K contract.

While general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff suggested that Comrie’s arbitration case would have priced him out of their financial plans had they given him enough starts to avoid Group VI unrestricted free agency, it still does seem odd that they would make a change to Rittich, after his performance this year. The 29-year-old goaltender posted an .886 save percentage in 17 appearances for the Nashville Predators, numbers that following several relatively sub-par seasons.

In fact, Rittich holds a career save percentage of just .904 now, and has never posted a single season with a number over .911. “Big Save Dave” has been extremely inconsistent throughout his 152 NHL games, and now will be tasked with backing up a starting goaltender that plays more than most in the league. His starts will be sporadic, and while that may be why the team didn’t want to spend much on their backup position, if Hellebuyck were to suffer an injury, it’s hard to imagine Rittich leading them to the postseason.

West Notes: Kaprizov, Keith, Jets Prospects

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Concerns continue to rise about the availability of Russian players to NHL teams next season. One player who’s come into focus today due to a variety of conflicting reports is Kirill Kaprizov, who Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin confirmed today is still in Russia despite rumors stating he had returned to the United States. In response to reports this morning that Kaprizov is currently wanted in Russia for buying a false military ID card five years ago, Guerin said the following:

We’re not going to push the panic button or anything like that. We’re just trying to gather information right now and find out if this is even credible.

Kaprizov is one of the multiple players whose situations are in limbo, exacerbated by the fact their KHL rights are held by CSKA Moscow, a Russian army-owned team. Russo notes that in the past, CSKA players have been exempt from military service, but this is an informal and non-codified rule. In addition, Kaprizov’s exemption from mandatory military service via a studentship in a Russian organization expired at the end of June. Very little is confirmed about the situation, but it’s a significant development that bears watching over the course of the offseason as it pertains to Kaprizov’s availability to the Wild next season.

  • The Edmonton Oilers will get some clarity soon on the playing future of defenseman Duncan Keith, who could potentially decide to retire with one season remaining on his contract carrying a $5.54MM cap hit. General manager Ken Holland noted that he’d spoken to Keith twice in the past few weeks and that he’s requested an answer by this Saturday. That gives the Oilers a brief window of time ahead of free agency to work out replacement plans for Keith if he retires. The 38-year-old defenseman would not inflict a cap penalty on the Oilers if he opts to call it a career.
  • Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff gave injury updates today on a pair of important Jets prospects. Cole Perfetti, who suffered an upper-body injury in mid-February, has just started skating again and is not cleared to participate in the 2022 World Junior Championship for Team Canada. Additionally, 2021 first-rounder Chaz Lucius, who underwent ankle surgery after suffering a late-season injury with the University of Minnesota, won’t participate for the United States.

Prospect Notes: Beck, Nelson, Lucius, Guhle

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Hockey Canada has made some changes to their National Junior Team summer development camp roster, from which the organization will select their contingent for the 2023 World Junior Championship in December. In lieu of San Jose Sharks defense prospect Gannon Laroque being unable to participate due to injury, Hockey Canada has added a pair of 2022 draft-eligible prospects in forward Owen Beck and defenseman Ty Nelson to their list.

Beck, ranked 33rd in TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s final scouting poll, netted 51 points in 68 games for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads in 2021-22. The public opinion on him is rather skewed, with some listing Beck in the mid-to-late first while some have him deep within the second round. Regardless, he’s one of the better OHLers available in this year’s class. He’ll rely on his strong skating and transitional play to try and improbably work his way onto the final roster. Nelson, who hails from the OHL’s North Bay Battalion, was ranked 50th in McKenzie’s consensus rankings after a 51-point season.

  • A second Lucius brother has officially left the University of Minnesota program. 2022-eligible Cruz Lucius, the younger sibling of Winnipeg Jets prospect Chaz Lucius, has switched his college commitment to rival Wisconsin. Cruz’s draft stock was hurt by injury this season, but he still managed eight points in six games for the U.S. at the U18 World Juniors and 25 points in 33 games with the U.S. National Development Team Program. If McKenzie’s consensus rankings are a proper indication, he’s slated to hear his name called in the mid-to-late third round.
  • Anaheim Ducks defense prospect Brendan Guhle won’t be staying in North America for 2022-23 after signing a contract with the DEL’s Eisbären Berlin. Guhle, originally selected 51st overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, will still belong to the Ducks organization if they issue the pending restricted free agent a qualifying offer. Guhle has just 65 NHL games to his name at this point, tallying 14 points. He had just seven points in 37 games last season in the AHL with San Diego.

Winnipeg Jets To Hire Scott Arniel

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July 4: More than a month later and Ates’ intel has proved correct, even if Trotz didn’t end up taking the job. Arniel will join the Winnipeg staff as an associate coach, according to Darren Dreger of TSN.

May 31: While the Winnipeg Jets remain “all-in” on Barry Trotz as they try to find their next head coach, another position has a leading candidate according to Murat Ates of The Athletic. Ates writes that Scott Arniel is a “near-lock” to be part of the staff, likely as an associate coach.

The 59-year-old Arniel suited up for the original Winnipeg Jets franchise during his playing days, and finished his career with the Manitoba Moose when the club was still in the IHL. As he transitioned into coaching, he took a role with the Moose as an assistant and then a few years later (after a stint in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres) was brought back as head coach. Arniel’s four seasons behind the bench of the Moose were relatively successful, with an appearance in the Calder Cup Finals in 2009.

As a head coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets, things didn’t go quite as well. In parts of two seasons, the club posted a 45-60-18 record and Arniel was replaced by Todd Richards halfway through 2011-12. He’s been an associate or assistant for the better part of the last decade, serving with the New York Rangers and coincidentally, the Washington Capitals as soon as Trotz left in 2018.

The Jets are one of several teams chasing Trotz, though there are several other high-profile candidates on the market. It is interesting to consider that they would have already decided to bring Arniel in without knowing who would be leading the group. To that end, Ates notes that an announcement on Arniel isn’t expected until a head coach is named.

Bowness Contract Includes Club-Option

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  • Not only does Rick Bowness have a two-year deal as the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, it includes a third-year option as well. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that it is a club option worth close to $3MM. Bowness, 67, is coming up on 40 years since he first stepped behind the bench with the Jets, joining the organization as an assistant in 1984 after his playing days ended there.

Winnipeg Jets Hire Rick Bowness

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July 3: The Winnipeg Jets have made it official via a release and Twitter announcement, naming Rick Bowness the eighth coach in Winnipeg Jets history and third since the team relocated from Atlanta. According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the contract is for two seasons at $2.5MM per season (link).

July 1: While one coaching vacancy was suddenly created today when San Jose parted ways with Bob Boughner, it appears another is about to close.  TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the Jets are in the process of finalizing an agreement with Rick Bowness to become their next head coach.

It will be a return to where it all began for the 67-year-old as his first NHL coaching job actually came with the original Jets franchise (now the Coyotes) all the way back in 1988-89 when he took over midseason.  Since then, Bowness has a long track record of coaching, both as a head coach and an assistant and Dreger notes that his experience was a big factor in Winnipeg’s choice.  Of course, they were previously linked to Barry Trotz, an experienced bench boss who ultimately declined their offer to take over so GM Kevin Cheveldayoff was clearly looking for someone that has run an NHL bench in the past.

Bowness most recently was head coach of Dallas where he spent parts of three seasons at the helm.  This past season, the Stars posted a 46-30-6 record, good for a points percentage of .598, their best since the 2015-16 campaign.  That was enough to get them into the playoffs as the top Wild Card seed in the Western Conference where they made it to the seventh game against Calgary in the opening round.  Despite that, the team saw fit to make a change behind the bench, ultimately installing Peter DeBoer as their new head coach after Bowness and the team mutually agreed to part ways.

Over his career, Bowness has a 212-351-76 record as an NHL head coach with stints with the Jets, Bruins, Senators, Islanders, Coyotes, and Stars.  It’s worth noting that his four seasons with the then-expansion Sens played a considerable role in making that mark as poor as it looks as Ottawa only won 39 of 235 games under his tutelage.

Assuming the contract does get finalized, Bowness will be taking over a Winnipeg team that was among the biggest underachievers in the league last season.  There is a strong forward core in place but Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, and Pierre-Luc Dubois have all been in trade speculation in recent weeks with the expectation that Cheveldayoff is looking to shake up his core.  Meanwhile, Connor Hellebuyck is coming off a tough year but is still only two years removed from winning the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie.  By going for an experienced head coach, it’s clear that there will be win-now expectations for Bowness and the Jets, no matter what winds up happening with their roster over the coming months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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