Jets fans not the only ones wondering what’s next

ANAHEIM – Dylan DeMelo knows exactly what limbo looks like.

DeMelo was in his final days as a member of the Ottawa Senators in February 2020.

Although he was playing well and interested in signing a contract extension, he was on an expiring contract and negotiations never fully materialized.

So in the week before the NHL trade deadline, it was basically a matter of when and where that was left to be sorted out.

DeMelo ended up being traded to the Winnipeg Jets on Feb. 18 and his first game ended up coming against the Senators a few days later.

“It’s hard sometimes when you’re in limbo and you don’t know what’s going on,” DeMelo said before the Jets faced the Anaheim Ducks in a game that was ongoing at press time. “We made our intentions known that we wanted to be there. They took it and didn’t do anything with it. When I got down to the end, there were no contract talks, so I knew it was just a matter of time before I was being dealt.

“Honestly, when that kind of happened, it was good mentally because I knew my situation. Unless they bring in an offer at the 11th hour, I’m out of here.”

DeMelo isn’t expecting history to repeat itself next week.

His situation is much different this time and he’s signed two contract extensions with the Jets since arriving.

But as someone who has been traded twice in his career, DeMelo said the March 6 NHL trade deadline can leave many players with an uneasy feeling, no matter where your team sits in the standings and where you find yourself on an organizational depth chart.

“It’s nerve-wracking, for sure, because you’re kind of just waiting for the domino to fall and you don’t control it,” said DeMelo. “Even when you don’t think you’re going, you never know. You see guys get traded all the time. When I got traded from San Jose to Ottawa, it was on the first day of training camp. It’s part of the business.

“When you want to be somewhere and you don’t know where you stand and you don’t get those answers when you want them, it can be tough mentally. So, you’ve got to lean on your support system and maybe some teammates that have been through it and maybe talk with them.”

“Even when you don’t think you’re going, you never know. You see guys get traded all the time.”

With three games left before the NHL trade deadline, the Jets are in a much different spot than they envisioned coming off a Presidents’ Trophy season.

A season that began with high hopes and great expectations has morphed into a three-way battle with the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks to stay out of the Central Division basement.

After being an obvious buyer last season, they’re more likely to be in selling mode during the next week or so. How will Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff navigate the trade market and how aggressive will he get?

With eight regulars who are pending unrestricted free agents, there is an opportunity to retool the roster on the fly.

The biggest bargaining chip of the group of eight is defenceman Logan Stanley, who is having a career-year offensively, brings size and physical play and carries a low salary cap hit of US $1.25 million that will make him even more appealing to contending teams looking to add toughness.

There’s still a chance the Jets could sign Stanley to an extension, but if they can’t find common ground, he’s someone that must be moved to the highest bidder.

Complicating matters is the belief from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman that the market might actually favour the buyers, since more teams are moving to that side of the bargaining table.

In this high stakes game of chicken, who blinks first can have a major impact on how many players get moved and whether general managers might consider moving off the original asking price.

Earlier this week, the Colorado Avalanche had to attach a second round pick with Sam Girard to clear cap space in a deal for fellow defenceman Brett Kulak.

While adding Kulak, who has suited up in the Stanley Cup final for the Edmonton Oilers the last two seasons, looks like a savvy pick-up, the immediate reaction surrounds what Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland might have in mind in the next trade after finding some additional wiggle room under the salary cap ceiling.

The Jets went big-game hunting for a second-line centre last March, but weren’t able to swing a deal for one.

They added energetic forward Brandon Tanev and defenceman Luke Schenn to provide added edge and playoff experience.

With those deals (plus the one to acquire blue-liner Colin Miller at the deadline in 2023), the Jets don’t have a second round pick or a fourth rounder in either 2026 or 2027, so it would make sense for Cheveldayoff to look to recoup some draft capital.

But for a team trying to remain in win-now mode, it’s possible Cheveldayoff might be looking to acquire NHL-ready prospects rather than focusing solely on picks.

The Jets would also have the ability to take on a bad contract (especially if it expires in July) in order to acquire a sweetener from a team looking to create cap space.

Schenn is one of the Jets on an expiring contract and his Stanley Cup pedigree and robust style of play should attract several suitors.

“We’re all human, so there’s a certain level of stress,” said Schenn. “Not everyone is blessed to have the no-trade clause. If you don’t have that, especially guys with no term on their deal are being talked about. From a personal standpoint, it was easier back in the day when it was just my wife and I. But when I’ve got three kids and two in school, that’s the thing that you think about a bit, the family aspect.

“In saying that, I feel like I’ve seen it all. The highs, the lows, the trades and everything in between. I don’t think anything would catch me off guard.”

“… I feel like I’ve seen it all. The highs, the lows, the trades and everything in between. I don’t think anything would catch me off guard.”

Schenn was traded not once but twice before the deadline in March, moving first from the Nashville Predators to the Pittsburgh Penguins before being shipped him to the Jets.

“Last year, I was completely caught off guard because I had another year on my deal and I wasn’t expecting anything. This year, I don’t have a pulse at all, to be honest with you. I really have no idea,” said Schenn. “When you’re a free agent and your team is in the position we’re in, there’s always a chance. But in saying that, it may not happen. Every time I think I have things figured out and I think I’ve got a handle on the future is when things go sideways. I’m done trying to predict what is going to happen.

“I’ve enjoyed being in Winnipeg and would love to be in a position where we can make a push ourselves. In saying that, I also understand the business side of it.”

Jets head coach Scott Arniel has been around many trade deadlines and wasn’t ready to make any predictions, other than conceding he expected chatter with Cheveldayoff to pick up now that he’s returned from a European scouting trip.

“You won’t give me until Monday on this one?” Arniel asked rhetorically. “For me, it’s just part of the business. Everybody recognizes that as you get closer and closer to the deadline, names get bantered around, with different teams and different players. The no-movement clause changes things a little bit. It’s not like everybody is available.”

The last word on the topic goes to DeMelo, who captured the feeling of many players around the NHL.

“All we have to do is to try to take care of things with what we have in our room and play the best we can,” said DeMelo. “It’s hard because there’s a part of you that honestly just wants the trade deadline to be over, so we know what we’ve got.”

Around the glass

Arrivederci

The long-awaited return of best-on-best hockey to the Winter Olympics certainly lived up to the hype, with two terrific weeks of action. Mike had a front-row seat for all of it, and has some parting thoughts:

Sidney Crosby: There is no greater ambassador for the game than Sid the Kid, and he reminded us time and time again with the way he handled himself on and off the ice, especially after seeing his tournament end with injury. He is the ultimate class act. Here’s a fun thought: Was this truly his final Olympics? I wouldn’t be so sure about that. There’s still plenty of fuel left in the tank, so don’t be so quick to discount 2030.

Macklin Celebrini: Nobody had a bigger breakout under the brightest lights than the youngest player in the tournament, who quickly shut up any critics who suggested he shouldn’t have been on the team. Celebrini is the real deal, and he truly wowed his teammates and coaches with his performance. We may ultimately see him in five Olympics over his career.

Josh Morrissey: The Hockey Gods certainly owe the Jets defenceman in a big way. It’s downright cruel that he’s now been felled by illness (4 Nations final) and injury in the last two international events. Here’s hoping a serious wave of good karma is headed in his direction.

Jon Cooper: Condolences to the Canadian coach, whose father passed away earlier this week. Cooper was a treat to deal with, and he’s a soundbite machine who makes for good media.

Exclusions: Much was made about who was/wasn’t on the Canadian roster, and that debate will likely continue for quite a while. But we can’t help but wonder how different the gold medal game would have looked if Crosby, Morrissey, Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli — all of whom were on the original 25-man team — were in the lineup.

Get stuffed: You’ve probably seen Nathan MacKinnon’s hilarious “what the hell is this?” reaction to being handed an Olympic mascot stuffed animal following his team’s crushing OT loss. We can confirm that while every other player came off the ice holding theirs, MacKinnon’s was nowhere to be found. Did he give it to a kid? Toss it into a garbage bin? WE NEED ANSWERS!

NHL involvement: One thing that will need to be tweaked going forward is more NHL involvement in the Olympics. From the chaotic mixed zone set-up to the ridiculous inability of the league to use video clips to promote the product, there’s some changes that can and should be made for future events.

Tick, tock: The focus now turns to the 2028 World Cup, as we officially enter an every-two-year rotation for international competition. We’ll soon get announcements about host cities for that event and details about what it might look like. Here’s hoping it extends beyond the four countries we saw at the 4 Nations. Slovakia, Czechia, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Latvia have all made cases for inclusion (Italy and France not so much), so might we see an expanded format? There’s also the ongoing question about Russian involvement, with the door appearing to open ever-so-slightly for future inclusion. Stay tuned.

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