Jets shopping for Stanley Cup-winning talent with garage sale-hunter’s budget By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Friday, Jun. 28, 2019

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/06/2019 (2010 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hang up the Help Wanted sign outside Bell MTS Place — the Winnipeg Jets have a few openings.

As a result, Monday could end up being one of the busiest days we’ve seen around these parts when the puck drops on free agency and the frenzy begins.

We don’t mean to alarm you, especially on this glorious Canada Day long weekend when hockey may be the furthest thing from your mind, but the Jets have only 16 players under contract for the coming season. And that includes the likes of Kristian Vesalainen, Mason Appleton, Sami Niku and Tucker Poolman, who have all split time so far between the NHL and AHL. Whether they’re seen as ready for full-time work or not, the club may have no choice, given the current pickle they find themselves in.

Those 16 will make just over US$59 million combined, giving the Jets about US$22 million to sign seven more players to get a 23-man roster and remain under the US$81.5-million NHL salary cap.

Both the roster numbers and cap hit will grow once restricted free agents Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, Andrew Copp and Neal Pionk get their names on new deals later this summer. But that would still make for only 20 skaters, leaving several holes to be frugally filled, considering Laine and Connor alone are going to take up a huge chunk of the available cash.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is going to have to get creative. Salary may have to be shed, and you’d think the Jets would want to do that prior to Monday’s action in order to put themselves in the best position to build a roster that can remain competitive. And the cost uncertainty of the unsigned restricted free agents will make things even more complicated in the GM’s office over the weekend.

Prime candidates include Dmitry Kulikov and Mathieu Perreault, who are both making north of US$4 million. But whether Cheveldayoff can find a trade partner willing to help the Jets out of their financial bind remains a question that a fair number of people think ought to have been answered by this point.

The Jets are clearly not in a position to go after some of the biggest free-agent targets, which is why they didn’t fly a single player into town this week for face-to-face meetings. It’s also a big reason they are likely going to be outbid by other clubs with more financial freedom on their own unrestricted free agents, including Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot and Brandon Tanev.

Those were the biggest three, but the Jets added two more to the pile this week in Nathan Beaulieu and Joe Morrow, choosing not to issue qualifying offers to them. Beaulieu would have been guaranteed at least US$2.4 million and Morrow US$1 million.

Here’s a look at what the Jets currently have, and what they desperately need, on the roster:

DEFENCE

We’ll start with the blue line, without a doubt the biggest question mark. Dustin Byfuglien, Josh Morrissey and Kulikov are the only NHL regulars under contract. Pionk will give them a fourth when he signs. After that you have the mostly the untested Niku and Poolman.

It’s difficult to imagine anyone being comfortable with that as the top six come opening night. Byfuglien, Morrissey and Kulikov all battled injuries at times last season, and Pionk has just one full year of NHL work on his resumé. Poolman also battled two major injuries last season, and the verdict is still very much out on Niku.

The next-best depth options on the farm would be Nelson Nogier and Logan Stanley. No disrespect to either, but that simply can’t be acceptable if this team is to be considered a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

The Jets need to sign at least two NHL-calibre defencemen in free agency, plus another couple of veteran depth blue-liners who would start the season with the Manitoba Moose and be available as call-ups when injuries inevitably hit. At least one would ideally be someone who can play in the top four.

If the Jets simply can’t afford to pay the high prices — there’s talk Myers could get as much as US$8 million and Chiarot US$4 million, which gives you a sense of where the market is at — then a trade would be the only option. Moving a skilled winger such as Nikolaj Ehlers might be a painful, but necessary, move. How else are you going to fill out what was already a position of need that only got worse once they traded Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers for Pionk and the 20th-overall pick in the NHL draft?

Yes, the Jets look to have several promising young defencemen in the prospect pipeline. But that help is still a year, or more, away.

CURRENT DEPTH CHART:

Morrissey-Byfuglien

Kulikov-Pionk

Niku-Poolman

Stanley-Nogier

Johnathan Kovacevic-Luke Green

FREE AGENCY TARGETS: the ship appears to have sailed on Myers, but can the Jets somehow get Chiarot to agree to a new deal prior to Monday at a number that works for both sides? Do they double back to Beaulieu and/or Morrow to see if they’ll accept a new contract at less than qualifying them would have cost? If not, it’s time to go bargain-hunting. Some possible names that could be in their pay range include Patrik Nemeth (Colorado), Jordie Benn (Montreal), Fredrik Claesson (New York Rangers), Tim Heed (San Jose), Chris Butler (St. Louis), Martin Marincin (Toronto) and Ben Hutton (Vancouver). All of which shows just how thin the crop is this summer.

FORWARDS

There’s still a solid core here, led by captain Blake Wheeler and No. 1 centre Mark Scheifele. Connor and Laine are elite wingers, while Ehlers has shown flashes of brilliance during his time in Winnipeg. The Jets will no doubt be counting on all three to take another step forward this season if they hope to continue to be a hockey heavyweight contender.

Bryan Little still might be the No. 2 centre on this team, which is an ongoing problem considering the club has tried to replace him at the last two trade deadlines (Paul Stastny, then Kevin Hayes). Copp has emerged into a versatile, two-way forward who might challenge for that spot, while Adam Lowry is a very effective checking centre. After that, you have the veteran Perreault and young, unproven players (at the NHL level) such as Jack Roslovic, Vesalainen and Appleton.

Once again, there are question marks beyond the top guns, and you’re really getting thin should injuries hit. Free-agent signings in Joona Luoto and Andrei Chibisov, veteran Moose returnees in Logan Shaw, Seth Griffith and J.C. Lipon, and prospects C.J. Suess, Jansen Harkins, Skyler McKenzie and Michael Spacek are currently the depth on the farm.

CURRENT DEPTH CHART:

Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler

Ehlers-Little-Laine

Copp-Lowry-Perreault

Vesalainen-Roslovic-Appleton

Luoto-Griffith-Shaw

Chibisov-Suess-Spacek

Harkins -McKenzie- Lipon

FREE AGENCY TARGETS: the Jets won’t be trying to land any of the big fish such as Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, Joe Pavelski or Anders Lee. Expect more bottom-six and depth-type targets here. Par Lindholm, obtained at the trade deadline last February, looked like a good fit and could be welcomed back if the price is right. He may not do all the things Tanev did, but he likely comes at a much friendlier cost. Some other potential targets might include: Nick Cousins (Arizona), Noel Acciari (Boston), Colin Wilson (Colorado), Derick Brassard (Colorado), Ryan Hartman (Dallas), Pontus Aberg (Minnesota) and Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare (Vegas).

GOALTENDING

The one position pretty much set in stone. Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit are your clear No. 1 and No. 2 with the Jets. Eric Comrie, an RFA who needs a new deal, and Mikhail Berdin are your likely tandem with the Moose. It’s worth noting Comrie would have to pass through waivers this fall, and there’s a risk another team could put in a claim.

FREE AGENCY TARGETS: Nothing to see here, unless the Jets decide to move Comrie for a future draft pick just to clear the way for Berdin to take the starting reigns. If so, then a veteran backup with a bit of NHL experience would be required, just as insurance.

So many questions. And the answers should start coming, fast and furious, before we sing Happy Birthday to the country and watch the fireworks Monday night.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg

Mike McIntyre
Sports columnist

Mike McIntyre grew up wanting to be a professional wrestler. But when that dream fizzled, he put all his brawn into becoming a professional writer.

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